Johnson v. State of California.

• Position: Racial discrimination case - Brief Article

U.S. Appeals Court

CELL ASSIGNMENT

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

DOUBLE-CELLING

Johnson v. State of California, 321 F.3d 791 (9th Cir. 2003). An African-American state prison inmate brought an action against prison administrators, alleging that a prison policy of using race as a factor in assigning a new inmate's initial cell mate violated the equal protection clause. The district court dismissed the case, but the appeals court reversed in part and remanded. On remand, the district court granted summary judgment for the prison administrators on qualified immunity grounds. The inmate appealed and the appeals court affirmed. The appeals court held that the policy did not violate the equal protection clause, given high racial tensions and violence existing at the prison. The court found the policy to be rationally related to a legitimate penological interest in protecting the safety of inmates, and found...