The Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Awards Act of 1976, 42 USC § 1988, allows a successful plaintiff to recover reasonable attorney fees for civil rights violations by the police. See Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 US 424 (1983); Blum v. Stenson, 465 US 886 (1984). Attorney fees for prisoners are separately covered by the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995.