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MA Prison Conditions Might Amount to Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Richard Smith, a Massachusetts state prison at MCI-Concord, filed suit against prison officials after being disciplined for fighting. He sued numerous guards and administrators in state court alleging a multitude of constitutional and statutory violations. Among them was a claim that he was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by being housed in a dormitory which was generally unsanitary and also unsafe because there were no panic buttons, fire exits or surveillance cameras. The state moved for summary judgment without addressing those allegations.
The superior court granted the state’s motion for summary judgment on all claims but the one for cruel and unusual punishment. On that claim the court found that Smith’s uncontroverted allegations stated a colorable claim under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article 26 of the state’s Declaration of Rights. Thus, the case was allowed to proceed on that claim. See: Smith v. Maloney, et al., Mass. Superior Court, Case No. 996210 (April 3, 2001); 2001 WL 755849.
The superior court granted the state’s motion for summary judgment on all claims but the one for cruel and unusual punishment. On that claim the court found that Smith’s uncontroverted allegations stated a colorable claim under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article 26 of the state’s Declaration of Rights. Thus, the case was allowed to proceed on that claim. See: Smith v. Maloney, et al., Mass. Superior Court, Case No. 996210 (April 3, 2001); 2001 WL 755849.
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Related legal case
Smith v. Maloney
| Year | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Cite | Mass. Superior Court, 2001 WL 755849 |
| Level | State Trial Court |
| Injunction Status | N/A |