The state of Hawaii has agreed, under a settlement with the federal government, to make vast improvements in its troubled youth prison over the next three years, to protect gay wards from harassment, abuse, and discrimination.

The settlement came as federal district judge, J. Michael Seabright, issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit that was jointly filed in September 2005 by the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii and Morrison & Foerster LLP. The judge described conditions at the prison, the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF) as "chaotic."

The suit alleged that guards and an administrator harassed and unfairly punished one lesbian ward, one gay ward, and one MTF transgender ward; it also contended that state officials knew about the alleged abuse and did nothing to stop it. This is one of two related cases filed since September by the Firm and the ACLU of Hawaii over alleged mistreatment of youths at the HYCF.

The Morrison & Foerster team on this matter was led by partner Angela Padilla. To read more about the settlement and the ongoing cases again HYCF, please follow the link below to the New York Times website and an article which appeared in the Feb 13th edition (registration required):

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/13/national/13hawaii.html?_r=1&oref=slogin