Class Action Status

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NYC Department of Correction strip search settlement

Lewis, et al. v. City of New York, et al.

Also known as NYC strip search settlement; Rikers strip search settlement; Lewis v. City of New York; Manhattan Court Division strip search; 23 Civ 2600

The lawsuit said DOC strip searched people at Manhattan court after they had already been searched at Rikers.

Copied from the official notice. Last compared Nov 7, 2026.

Open File by Thursday, Nov 26, 2026 (online, or postmarked by mail).

You could get
A share of the fund $28 million fund, split among everyone who files.
Source
“The total distribution amount will be allocated on a pro rata basis for Class Members who submit valid and timely Claim Forms.”

From the administrator site: Official FAQ page (the notice text). Last compared Nov 7, 2026.
You need
No receipt needed Needs the code from your notice Claim ID and PIN from your notice, if you have them (you can also file without them) Some paperwork: describes the claim form only
Source
“The Class Members must timely submit a Claim Form and establish his or her identity by providing the Settlement Administrator with his or her name; his or her NYSID and/or applicable book and case number, if known; his or her Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number, if known; his or her date of birth, if known; his or her Department Identification Number, Facility Name, and Facility State if currently in New York State Custody.”

From the administrator site: Official FAQ page (the notice text). Last compared Nov 7, 2026.
Who can file
NYC DOC detainees strip searched twice for Manhattan court
Source
“The Settlement includes any individual in DOC custody who was strip searched upon arrival at the Manhattan Court Division after having been strip searched prior to departing Rikers Island for court. ... “Class Period” means the time between March 28, 2020, and February 29, 2024, for individuals classified as Enhanced Security by the NYC Department of Correction and the time between October 1, 2022, through February 29, 2024, for all other individuals. ... the Settlement does not include (a) individuals who have previously settled their respective claim(s) with any entity of the City of New York stemming from a strip search conducted by DOC staff at the Manhattan Court Division after having been strip searched prior to departing Rikers Island for court during the Class Period; and (b) individual plaintiffs represented by Oddo and Babat before the Hon. Judge D. Kaplan, as set forth in the document annexed hereto as Exhibit A; and (c) individuals whose claims are otherwise barred by the terms of a valid and enforceable release with the City.”

From the administrator site: Official FAQ page (the notice text). Last compared Nov 7, 2026.

Where
Anywhere in the U.S.
Source
“The Settlement includes any individual in DOC custody who was strip searched upon arrival at the Manhattan Court Division after having been strip searched prior to departing Rikers Island for court.”

From the administrator site: Official FAQ page (the notice text). Last compared Nov 7, 2026.

Time to file
About 4 minutes
Source

Our estimate of how long the official claim form takes. The notice does not say.

From the official site: nystripsearchsettlement.com. Last compared Nov 7, 2026.

File free on the official site
Official site: nystripsearchsettlement.com

Free. The official site never charges.

Add deadline to my calendar

Remind me before the deadline, and tell me when it pays

Email only, about this settlement only. We never give your email to law firms or claim services. You confirm by email first, and every message has a one-click unsubscribe.

Quick answers

How much is the NYC Department of Correction strip search settlement payout?

A share of the fund. $28 million fund, split among everyone who files.

Where is the NYC Department of Correction strip search settlement claim form?

On the official site, www.nystripsearchsettlement.com. Filing is free. The last day to file is Nov 26, 2026.

Open the claim form on www.nystripsearchsettlement.com

When will the NYC Department of Correction strip search settlement pay?

Payment can only happen after the court gives final approval and any appeals are over.

The final approval hearing is set for Jan 29, 2027.

Is the NYC Department of Correction strip search settlement legit?

The settlement administrator (the company that handles claims) is Verita, and the official site is www.nystripsearchsettlement.com. Real notices point there; if a link in a message goes anywhere else, do not use it.

The official site never asks you to pay to file.

How to check a notice or a text

Compare yourself to the official class definition

You may be included if you were in NYC DOC custody and strip searched at the Manhattan Court Division after a Rikers strip search.

It covers Mar 28, 2020 to Feb 29, 2024 if you were Enhanced Security, and Oct 1, 2022 to Feb 29, 2024 for everyone else.

You are not included if you already settled or released this claim with the City, or were an Oddo and Babat client before Judge Kaplan.

Check each condition yourself. The boxes are only for you; nothing is sent or stored.

The court’s exact words

The Settlement includes any individual in DOC custody who was strip searched upon arrival at the Manhattan Court Division after having been strip searched prior to departing Rikers Island for court.

From the administrator site: Official FAQ page (the notice text)

This checklist is for guidance only and can be wrong. Only the court's definition decides. Read the official wording before you file.

How to file

  1. Find the code from your notice

    • Claim ID and PIN from your notice, if you have them (you can also file without them)

    No notice, or lost it?

  2. Gather what you need

    No proof of purchase is required.

    • Your name and date of birth, and your NYSID or book and case number if known
    • Your Social Security or Tax ID number, if known
    • If now in New York State custody: your Department ID number, facility name and facility state

  3. File online, or by mail

    At www.nystripsearchsettlement.com, by Nov 26, 2026. Filing is free.

    The deadline note says: “Mailed claim forms must be postmarked by November 26, 2026; online claims must be submitted by November 26, 2026.”

  4. Save your confirmation

    Keep your confirmation number or email. You do not need to file again.

Confirm with the administrator before you act.

After you file

Payment can only happen after the court gives final approval and any appeals are over.

The final approval hearing is set for Jan 29, 2027.

For context: First payments were issued 52 to 875 days after final approval, based on 15 settlements. Half were paid within 119 days. 1 of the 15 waited on appeals after approval.

See what is known about payments in other settlements

Also ending this week

Case details
Case
Lewis, et al. v. City of New York, et al.
Court
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Case number
No. 23 Civ 2600 (CM)
Administrator
Verita
Settlement fund
$28,000,000 for class member payments; attorneys' fees, $37,500 service awards to each of the two class representatives and $500,000 in administrative costs are paid separately and not deducted
Full payout terms
Share of $28 million, based on your number of searchesA pro rata share of the $28,000,000 Distribution Amount, based on how many times you were strip searched at the Manhattan Court Division after a Rikers strip search, divided by the total of such searches of all claimants. No per-person estimate is published.
Effort
Easy, about 4 minutes
Other dates
Opt-out (exclusion) deadline
(ahead) source document
Objection deadline
(ahead) source document
Final approval hearing
(ahead) source document
The court’s exact words

The Settlement includes any individual in DOC custody who was strip searched upon arrival at the Manhattan Court Division after having been strip searched prior to departing Rikers Island for court.

Quoted from the official notice. Read the notice for the full definition.

Our notes: The class is people in New York City Department of Correction (DOC) custody who were strip searched on arrival at the Manhattan Court Division after already being strip searched before leaving Rikers Island for court. The Class Period is March 28, 2020 to February 29, 2024 for people DOC classified as Enhanced Security, and October 1, 2022 to February 29, 2024 for everyone else. Anyone on the Class List is presumed to be a class member. Excluded: people who already settled such a claim with any City of New York entity; individual plaintiffs represented by Oddo and Babat before Judge Kaplan (listed in Exhibit A to the notice); and people whose claims are barred by a valid release with the City.

Sources and checks (4)

Every fact people act on was copied from the official source and compared with it. How we check

What changedLast change Nov 2, 2026
  • Page created. Claims open until November 26, 2026. source document
Questions

I already filed. What now?

Keep your confirmation number or email. You do not need to file again. Payment can only happen after the court gives final approval; once it does, the payment status page shows what is known.

Opting out

To leave the settlement and keep your right to sue on your own, follow the official notice by Nov 26, 2026. If you opt out, you get no payment. Opting out and objecting have separate rules; we cannot tell you which is right for you.

File free on the official site Opens www.nystripsearchsettlement.com