West v. Schwebke.

• Position: Sex offenders sues correction facility - Brief Article

U.S. Appeals Court

SEX OFFENDERS

West v. Schwebke, 333 F.3d 745 (7th Cir. 2003). Civilly committed sex offenders brought a [section] 1983 action against employees of a state treatment facility, alleging that therapeutic seclusion as practiced at the facility violated their due process rights. The district court denied summary judgment for some of the employees and they appealed. The appeals court affirmed, finding that the offenders were entitled, as a matter of due process, to the exercise of professional judgment as to the needs of residents and that due process requires that the conditions and duration of involuntary civil confinement bear some reasonable relation to the purpose for which the persons are committed. The court found that summary judgment was precluded by...