Liles v. Camden County Dept. of Corrections.

• Position: Inmate alleges violation of Eighth Amendment rights, improper bedding leads to prisoner back injuries,

U.S. District Court

TOILETS

SHOWERS

BEDDING

Liles v. Camden County Dept. of Corrections, 225 F.Supp.2d 450 (D.N.J. 2002). Former inmates brought an action against county officials alleging that conditions of confinement violated their Eighth Amendment rights. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants in part, and denied it in part. The court held that no evidence showed that prison mattresses, that were between two and two and one-half inches thick, caused the inmates' back injuries. The court found that the inmates' claims regarding inadequate bedding did not rise to the level required to support a claims of inadequate prison conditions, where the inmates received two sheets and one blanket, but no pillow. The court held that evidence did not support the claim that shower conditions caused the inmates to break out in rashes. Although the inmates presented an expert report of a "forensic sanitarian," the court noted that the report concluded only that the poor condition of the shower and lack of sanitation "may result" in rashes. Inmates alleged that state laundry services did not adequately clean their laundry, causing them to hand-wash their clothing and dry and store their clothing in their cells...