A group of five Pennsylvania inmates has recently filed a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Corrections and its employees, according to an announcement from the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project. The lawsuit accuses the Department of causing severe mental health consequences due to the use of solitary confinement in state prisons.
The class action lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, is directed at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) Fayette and its leadership, including its superintendent, Tina Walker. As of August, SCI Fayette holds almost 2,000 state inmates, reaching 90% of its operating capacity.
The complaint focuses on the Security Threat Group Management Unit (STGMU) at SCI Fayette, arguing that the inmates cannot challenge their assignment to STGMU due to lack of transparency about the selection process. The inmates claim that solitary confinement in the STGMU led to severe psychological decline, extreme anxiety, depression and an increase in suicide attempts. They also allege that individuals in the STGMU are confined to a cell for 22 hours a day without access to mental health treatment.
The lawsuit seeks to prevent further solitary confinement placements in the STGMU, argued as causing these severe conditions. The complaint describes the prisoners’ lack of human contact and their exposure to other inmates possibly experiencing severe emotional distress or psychosis.
The plaintiffs seek relief under the US Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment for alleged violations of due process rights since no hearing is required for placement in the STGMU. Under the Eighth Amendment, the lawsuit claims the solitary confinement conditions put the plaintiffs at a higher risk due to their pre-existing mental health conditions. Additionally, they claim violations of the American with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act as the department placed plaintiffs with psychiatric disabilities in solitary confinement without providing necessary accommodations.
The complaint highlights the disproportionate impact of isolation in STGMU on the general prison population, suggesting racial disparities as the majority of inmates in the program are Black and Latinx.
This case represents not the first time a Pennsylvania correctional institution has faced legal action. In 2020, inmates in Allegheny County filed a lawsuit over alleged harm to individuals with mental health disabilities due to the use of solitary confinement in place of proper mental health treatment.
More details of the case are outlined in this comprehensive report.