Incarcerated individuals are often the victims of abuse and neglect. Such abuse is often “business as ususal” in the prison system. All prisoners have the right to serve their sentence based solely on the punishment imposed by the sentencing court. Unfortunately, prison officials and corrections officers often believe that they can impose an extra sentence of their own design, and treat the people who are already powerless to physical abuse. Further, medical care in jails and prisons is often deplorable or nearly non-existent. Prisoners who may have significant mental health issues are often left unsupervised or monitored, allowing the most desperate or disturbed to take their own lives.

Protecting the fundamental rights of prisoners is a job that only a very small number of lawyers will take on. We believe that the rights of the incarcerated are as deserving as the rights of every other citizen. The rights of people who have been sentenced emanate from the 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The rights of pre-trial detainees emanate from the 4th Amendment.

Prisoners may also have to exhaust their administrative remedies and comply with the Prison Litigation Reform Act. We can explain and discuss all of the hurdles involved in bringing a lawsuit for the redress of a violation of the constitutional rights of prisoners and the constitutional rights of pre-trial detainees.