U.S. Appeals Court: OUTDOOR EXERCISE.

• Position: Brief Article

Pearson v. Ramos. 237 F.3d 881 (7th Cir. 2001). A state prisoner brought a 1983 action against the superintendent of a prison's disciplinary segregation unit, seeking damages for harm allegedly suffered as the result of being denied access to outdoor exercise for a year. The district court entered judgment upon jury verdict for the prisoner, and the superintendent appealed. The appeals court reversed, finding that the imposition of four consecutive 90-day denials of prison yard privileges for serious violations of prison disciplinary rules was not cruel and unusual punishment. The court noted that even...