HELENA – A civil liberties group says female prisoners at the Missoula County jail receive substandard treatment compared to male inmates.
The lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana Wednesday alleges that female inmates don’t have the same access to fresh air and outdoor exercise. It argues that violates constitutional equal protection rights and guarantees against cruel and unusual punishment.
The Missoula County sheriff’s office says its jail is relatively new, built in 1999, and has state-of-the-art facilities.
The lawsuit says that male inmates get access to an outdoor recreation yard, while juveniles and females are only given recreation time in an indoor gym with small windows.
ACLU executive director Scott Crichton says being deprived access to the outdoors leads to health problems.