Overview of Prisoners’ Rights John Boston Prisoners’ Rights Project New York City Legal Aid Society 199 Water Street, 6 th floor New York, N.Y. 10038 November 15, 2013 Prepared for Second Circuit Staff Attorneys’ Training Copyright 2013 by John Boston. Corrections and comments may be addressed to [email protected]. Table of Contents Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1 I. Conditions of Confinement..................................................................................................... 1 A. The subjective element ....................................................................................................... 1 1. Conditions of confinement cases: deliberate indifference.............................................. 1 2. Use of force cases: malicious and sadistic treatment...................................................... 5 3. Calculated harassment unrelated to prison needs ........................................................... 6 B. The objective element: “sufficiently serious”..................................................................... 6 C. Recurring issues in medical care cases............................................................................. 10 1. Deliberate indifference.................................................................................................. 11 2. Deliberate indifference and negligence ........................................................................ 20 3. Serious medical needs................................................................................................... 21 4. Mental health care......................................................................................................... 23 5. Dental care .................................................................................................................... 28 D. Recurring issues in use of force cases............................................................................... 29 1. Intent requirement......................................................................................................... 29 2. Amount of force and justification................................................................................. 31 3. Bystander, supervisory, and entity liability .................................................................. 33 4. Sexual abuse.................................................................................................................. 34 E. Other conditions of confinement issues............................................................................ 35 1. Shelter ........................................................................................................................... 35 2. Crowding....................................................................................................................... 35 3. Food .............................................................................................................................. 36 4. Clothing......................................................................................................................... 37 5. Safety ............................................................................................................................ 37 6. Temperature and ventilation ......................................................................................... 40 7. Exercise......................................................................................................................... 40 8. Sanitation and personal hygiene ................................................................................... 41 9. Sleep.............................................................................................................................. 42 10. Noise......................................................................................................................... 42 11. Lighting..................................................................................................................... 43 12. Programs, activities, and idleness............................................................................. 43 13. Disability rights......................................................................................................... 44 i II. Prisoners’ Civil Liberties...................................................................................................... 49 A. The reasonable relationship standard................................................................................ 49 B. Scope of the standard........................................................................................................ 54 C. Application of the standard............................................................................................... 55 D. Particular civil liberties issues .......................................................................................... 62 1. Correspondence............................................................................................................. 62 2. Reading ......................................................................................................................... 63 3. Complaining.................................................................................................................. 67 4. Communication with the media.................................................................................... 70 5. Visiting.......................................................................................................................... 71 6. Telephones.................................................................................................................... 71 7. Voting ........................................................................................................................... 72 8. Religious exercise......................................................................................................... 73 a. Worship and ceremony ............................................................................................. 79 b. Dress and appearance................................................................................................ 81 c. Diet............................................................................................................................ 82 d. Names ....................................................................................................................... 83 9. Establishment of religion.............................................................................................. 83 10. Searches and privacy................................................................................................. 84 III. Procedural Due Process .................................................................................................... 93 A. Liberty in prison: Sandin v. Conner .................................................................................. 93 B. When prison discipline requires due process.................................................................... 96 C. Sandin and pre-trial detainees......................................................................................... 100 D. Sanctions involving the fact or duration of imprisonment: good time, parole, temporary release ..................................................................................................................................... 102 E. Prison discipline and habeas exhaustion......................................................................... 107 F. The process due............................................................................................................... 110 1. Disciplinary proceedings ............................................................................................ 111 a. Notice...................................................................................................................... 111 b. Hearings: the right to hear and to be heard............................................................. 112 c. Witnesses ................................................................................................................ 113 d. Confrontation and cross-examination..................................................................... 115 e. Documentary and physical evidence ...................................................................... 115 f. Assistance with a defense ....................................................................................... 117 ii g. Impartial decision-maker ........................................................................................ 118 h. Standards of proof and evidence............................................................................. 119 i. Urinalysis, polygraphy, and other scientific tests ................................................... 124 j. Written disposition.................................................................................................. 125 k. Confidential informants .......................................................................................... 126 l. False charges........................................................................................................... 129 m. Discipline and mental health............................................................................... 129 n. Punishment.............................................................................................................