Filed Date: Aug. 19, 1974
Closed Date: 1978
Clearinghouse coding complete
In 1974, an inmate in the State Correctional Institution at Graterford filed a Section 1983 suit, pro se, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against prison officials. Plaintiff contended that, in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause, he had been subjected to cruel and unusual punishment and denied procedural due process. The factual basis of the claim was his continued confinement in the "Behavior Adjustment Unit" of the prison. The court appointed law student counsel from the Indigent Prisoner Litigation Program.
Between 1976 and 1978, the parties unsuccessfully attempted to settle the case. During this period, plaintiff also underwent several psychiatric evaluations. After reviewing the record, the District Court (Judge Alfred Leopold Luongo) held that plaintiff had not been subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, but had been deprived of his right to due process by defendants' administrative segregation procedures. United States ex rel. Hoss v. Cuyler, 452 F. Supp. 256 (E.D. Pa. 1978). The court issued a permanent injunction ordering defendants to remedy the constitutional defects in BAU confinement procedures.
In August 1978, the court approved new administrative segregation criteria for use by officials of the State Correctional Institution at Graterford in a final judgment and decree. United States ex rel. Hoss v. Cuyler, 454 F. Supp. 51 (E.D. Pa. 1978). The new criteria established several factors to be considered by the Program Review Committee in determining whether an inmate warranted continued administrative confinement as a security risk.
The docket for this case is not available on PACER, and therefore our information ends with the last reported decision, dated August 2, 1978.
Summary Authors
Eoghan Keenan (6/10/2005)
Luongo, Alfred Leopold (Pennsylvania)
Backstrom, James A. Jr. (Pennsylvania)
McKnight, H. Vincent Jr. (Pennsylvania)
Rifkin, Roy G. (Pennsylvania)
Goldberg, Joseph (Pennsylvania)
Luongo, Alfred Leopold (Pennsylvania)
Last updated April 16, 2024, 3:13 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Pennsylvania
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Aug. 19, 1974
Closing Date: 1978
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
State prison inmate who was confined to prison's "Behavior Adjustment Unit"
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: Unknown
Class Action Outcome: Unknown
Defendants
State Correctional Institution (Graterford), State
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Mixed
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 1978 - 0
Issues
General:
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Medical/Mental Health:
Type of Facility: