What Constitutes Prisoner Abuse?

Correctional facilities are required to provide humane treatment to inmates, but when prison staff or officials abuse their authority, it can result in serious violations of constitutional rights. Common forms of prisoner abuse include:

Excessive Force and Physical Abuse, such as beatings, pepper spray abuse, and similar injustices.

Arbitrary Punishment and Retaliation: Prison officials cannot impose unjust or retaliatory punishment on inmates.  Examples include placing an inmate in solitary confinement for filing a complaint and restricting visitation rights as a form of control.

Denial of Proper Medical Care: Prisoners have a right to adequate healthcare under the Constitution. Ignoring medical needs, refusing to provide necessary medications, failing to provide emergency medical care, and ignoring mental health needs can result in life-threatening conditions.

Sexual Assault and Harassment: Prison staff might engage in sexual misconduct, which is strictly prohibited under federal and state law.  Examples include assault by guards, coercion, and failure to prevent known risks of sexual violence.

Wrongful Death in Custody: Negligence, recklessness, deliberate indifference, abuse, and medical neglect can all lead to preventable inmate deaths.  Examples include fatal injuries from excessive force, untreated medical conditions, and even suicides due to lack of mental health care.

Failure to Provide Supervision and Protection: Prisoners have a right to adequate supervision and protection from violence and harm, including self-harm and harm from other inmates.  Examples of failure to provide adequate supervision and protection include ignoring threats of assault from other inmates, failing to intervene in violent altercations, and failing to act upon known risks of violence and self-harm.