SAN JOSE, CA -- A San Francisco federal court judge approved the settlement Thursday involving Santa Clara County inmate conditions in response to a class action lawsuit filed by a prisoner advocacy group on behalf of citizens against the county.

The Prison Law Office alleged some of the county's jail conditions were "unconstitutional" in its complaint. The court hearing wrapped up a three-year process pertaining to Cesar vs. County of Santa Clara, which came about to stop solitary confinements set for indefinite periods among other issues plaguing the county jail system.

The county reached the $1.6 million settlement five months ago and pledged to make changes under a "Remedial Plan" that address inmate concerns ranging from prisoner welfare to a more efficient intake process. Inmate gripes came to a head after the 2015 death of a mentally ill inmate, Michael Tyree. Three jail guards were convicted in 2017 of beating Tyree to death. The Prison Law Office was somewhat pleased with the outcome it labeled as a technicality in court since both sides found common ground in extensive negotiations before the Thursday afternoon appearance.

The settlement ties the county to improving living conditions for people confined in jails, a reform process county administration and the Sheriff's Office started addressing over three years ago. And the county plans to make more measures to ensure humane inmate conditions. Prison Law Office Executive Director Donald Specter commended the county for its "leadership, transparency and dedication to finding solutions that addressed the deficiencies," listing the use of force along with solitary confinement as main issues. A recent realignment between state prisoners and county facilities has placed more pressure on the local government jail system.

"In any settlement, you don't get everything you want, but the county has been cooperative with a lot of good will," Specter told Patch after the hearing.

The county was also satisfied with the result, putting an end to a long, laborious legal process.

"For the last three years, the county has tackled necessary jail reforms in a collaborative, deliberative, and transparent fashion resulting in improved conditions for inmates and their families, the staff, and our community. With this settlement complete, the county can now finalize its work on the County's larger efforts on jail reforms," County Counsel James R. Williams said. In turn, Sheriff Laurie Smith added that she has "appreciated the professionalism of the Prison Law Office and Cooley LLP and the opportunity to work cooperatively to find common ground in the parties' shared goal of providing appropriate conditions for inmates in the county's custody."