INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has finalized settlements totaling more than $1.2 million on behalf of 31 people who were subjected to abusive conditions at Miami Correctional Facility.
The lawsuits were filed against the Indiana Department of Correction over the placement of inmates in cells with metal-covered windows and no working lights, leaving people in total or near-total darkness.
In some cells, live wires hung from the ceiling, shocking people as they moved through the dark. Some inmates endured these conditions for months and were rarely permitted to leave their cells.
The first lawsuit was filed in 2021 on behalf of Jeremy Blanchard. Thirty more cases followed as additional individuals came forward.
Court papers say inmates suffered physical and psychological harm, including injuries, panic attacks, hallucinations, and self-harm.
"After more than five years of litigation, these settlements bring some measure of justice to people who have endured horrific abuse at Miami Correctional Facility," Ken Falk, legal director at the ACLU of Indiana, said in a release. "The Eighth Amendment protects people in state custody from cruel and unconstitutional conditions, and our clients showed enormous courage in coming forward with their experiences."
The settlements come amid ongoing concerns about conditions at the facility. The facility has seen three inmate deaths this year, including 82-year-old Billy Wilson, who died last week. Two previous deaths involved ICE detainees held at the facility under an agreement with the state that began in October. Lorth Sim of Cambodia and Tuan Van Bui of Vietnam both died while being held in ICE detention at the facility in 2026.
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Congressman André Carson visited the facility in April and called for an end to ICE detention there. He cited "heartbreaking" detainee accounts and raised concerns about delayed medical care.
The ACLU of Indiana says it will "continue working to protect the constitutional rights of incarcerated people and hold the state accountable when those rights are violated."
