By C1 Staff
LINCOLN, Neb. — ACLU has taken the first step in what could be a lawsuit over overcrowding inside Nebraska prisons.
The Omaha reports that the group has formed a panel of trial lawyers to help with potential prison litigation over “unconstitutional prison conditions.”
The state prison system is currently at 159 percent of capacity, though the governor can declare a state of emergency at 140 percent capacity.
The ACLU said that conditions might violate the Eighth Amendment restriction on cruel and unusual punishment, the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal laws.
The ACLU has called on the Legislature to take steps to relieve overcrowding and limit the use of solitary confinement.