Garfield County, Denver Colorado

A class action lawsuit was filed by The American Civil Liberties Union in U.S. District Court in Denver claiming that The Garfield County Jail's use of restraint chairs, pepperball guns and electric shock belts to control unruly inmates is unconstitutional. The lawsuit alleges the jail's practice of strapping inmates in restraint chairs for hours at a time violates common law enforcement standards and the manufacturer's recommendations for the chairs' safe use. The suit further alleges that Sheriff Lou Vallario and Jail Commander Scott Dawson failed to ensure adequate training for deputies, did not adequately supervise deputies to control alleged inmate abuses and interfered with inmates' right to talk confidentially with attorneys.