MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - A federal judge has approved a settlement in a lawsuit filed by the ALCU of Montana over conditions for Montana State Prison inmates with disabilities.
The case dates back to a lawsuit filed after a 1991 prison riot in which five inmates were killed. It was settled in 1995, but in 2013 experts said the prison was not meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
The settlement, approved Tuesday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch, requires the prison to finish installing features like wheelchair ramps and grab bars, update policies and ensure inmates will not be disciplined based on a disability or behavior that is a result of a disability.
It also requires inmates with disabilities be given reasonable accommodations to participate in jobs, job training and other prison programs that help inmates prepare for release.
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