Filed Date: Jan. 18, 1994
Clearinghouse coding complete
On January 18, 1994 prisoners of the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction, Massachusetts, who had been placed in a Department Disciplinary Unit (DDU) filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the Superior Court of Massachusetts challenging the conditions of their confinement. They were represented by the Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. Their complaint alleged violations of the Massachusetts' and United States' Constitutions and of Massachusetts law and regulations for the following: unlawful conditions of confinement, inadequate medical and psychiatric care, unlawful use of excessive force, inadequate food, denial of access to the courts, and unlawful hearings for prisoners confined to the department disciplinary unit. The Superior Court Department, Suffolk County (Judge Peter M. Lauriat), granted summary judgment to defendants on eight of the thirteen counts. (No decision is available). Accordingly, the plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. The Court (Judge Joan E. Lynch) held that: (1) conditions in DDU did not pose substantial risk of serious harm to inmates, and thus did not violate the Eighth Amendment or the Massachusetts Constitution; (2) placement in DDU was not confinement in "isolation unit," and thus, was not subject to statutory 15-day limit; (3) inmates received procedural due process rights implicated by placement in DDU; and (4) statute requiring officials to treat inmates with kindness merited by inmate behavior was inapplicable. Victor Torres v. DuBois, 695 N.E.2d 200 (1998).
No further information is available about this case.
Summary Authors
Rebecca Bloch (4/12/2006)
Lynch, Sandra Lea (Massachusetts)
Gill, Laurie S. (Massachusetts)
Laferrera, Joseph J. (Massachusetts)
Lewis, Scott P. (Massachusetts)
Bean, Thomas O. (Massachusetts)
Lynch, Sandra Lea (Massachusetts)
Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 3:28 p.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Massachusetts
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Jan. 18, 1994
Case Ongoing: Unknown
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
prisoners of the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction, Massachusetts, who had been placed in a Department Disciplinary Unit (DDU)
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
MCI-Cedar Junction (Walpole , Norfolk), State
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General:
Access to lawyers or judicial system
Food service / nutrition / hydration
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Assault/abuse by staff (facilities)
Assault/abuse by non-staff (facilities)
Type of Facility: