A lawsuit filed in May against the San Francisco County Sheriff’s office claims city jails are denying inmates access to sunlight. Plaintiffs argue that denying sunlight constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment”.
Inmates claim a lack of sunlight has resulted in impaired mental health, loss of cognitive function, social interaction skills and muscle weakness.
Yolanda Huang, a civil rights and defense attorney representing the inmates, said "We firmly believe that no one should suffer inhumane conditions, and the denial of sunlight to prisoners represents a severe violation of their basic human rights."
The lawsuit says all inmates at both jails in question – County Jails 4 and 5 – subject inmates to such treatment. It also claims this includes a subgroup of inmates — pre-trial detainees — who are allegedly locked in cells for excessive amounts of time.
One of the plaintiffs, Kenyon Norbert, has spent almost 1,800 days without sunlight or being outdoors, according to the complaint. The suit calls for jails to cease practices of confinement and isolation. It also wants the policy changed to allow more out-of-cell time for prisoners, and to provide access to regular outdoor activities and sunlight.
