(Reuters) -The United States on Wednesday filed a civil lawsuit accusing a New Jersey county of depriving jailed inmates of their civil rights by failing to identify when they might be at risk of self-harm or suicide.
In a complaint filed in Camden, New Jersey federal court, the government accused Cumberland County of violating the U.S. Constitution over how it treats inmates at the Cumberland County Jail.
The complaint said the county does not sufficiently screen inmates who risk harming themselves because of opiate withdrawal or need care for serious mental health conditions.
County officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The complaint was signed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)