Annually, prisoners file more than 25,000 lawsuits against correctional personnel over a wide range of confinement issues. This book has been designed to keep personnel and students abreast of such litigation by addressing the varying topics, legal principles, and standards that have been developed by the United States Supreme Court. It provides an analysis of the civil liability issues that surface from confining detainees in jails and prisoners in adult institutions. Discussion of the trends in prisoner litigation for the past forty years is presented, combined with a legal analysis of the evolution of prisoners’ rights and an examination of the impact of the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1996. Ross also provides an assessment of the Federal Court system and a discussion of how Section 1983 lawsuits are litigated.

Civil Liability Issues in Corrections reviews over 100 United States Supreme Court decisions and provides an assessment of numerous lower courts’ decisions in applying the Court’s standards in fifteen common prisoner litigation issues. Emerging themes are the use of force, cross-gender supervision, deaths in custody, medical/psychiatric care, and employee litigation against correctional managers; the book integrates case analysis and prior liability research in these correction content areas. Also included are an examination of line level officer and administrative liability responsibilities; a discussion on how to build a defense to future litigation; and a look at policy, training, and supervisory concerns.