Gaskins v. Dickhaut

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Docket Number

16-P-772

Judges

Peter W. Agnes

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Smart Summary

Factual and Procedural Background

The plaintiffs appealed from a judgment entered in the Superior Court that dismissed their complaint alleging violations of their civil rights. The complaint sought declaratory and injunctive relief as well as money damages. The plaintiffs claimed that the defendants violated the "kindness" statute, G. L. c. 127, § 32, by imposing greater restrictions on the conditions of confinement in the prison units where the plaintiffs were housed. The defendants had imposed these restrictions in response to a series of violent incidents within the facility. The Superior Court dismissed the complaint, and the plaintiffs appealed that dismissal.

Legal Issues Presented

Whether the defendants violated G. L. c. 127, § 32, by imposing more restrictive conditions on the plaintiffs' prison units compared to others, thereby failing to assure "equal treatment, as far as may reasonably be, for prisoners who are not being disciplined."
Whether the defendants violated the plaintiffs' constitutional right to procedural due process by imposing these restrictions.
Whether the imposition of more stringent conditions on the general prison population constitutes an impermissible "significant hardship."
Whether the defendants are entitled to qualified immunity regarding the plaintiffs' claims.

Arguments of the Parties

The opinion does not contain a detailed account of the parties' legal arguments.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent	Rule or Principle Cited For	Application by the Court
Hastings v. Commissioner of Correction, 424 Mass. 46 (1997)	Interpretation of G. L. c. 127, § 32, requiring "equal treatment, as far as may reasonably be, for prisoners who are not being disciplined."	The court relied on this precedent to evaluate the plaintiffs' claim but disagreed that the defendants violated the statute.
Blaney v. Commissioner of Correction, 374 Mass. 337 (1978)	Statutory requirement for equal treatment of prisoners not under discipline.	Quoted by the court to frame the statutory standard; the court found no violation.
Haverty v. Commissioner of Correction, 437 Mass. 737 (2002)	Prohibition against confining inmates in isolated or segregated units for nondisciplinary reasons.	The court clarified that this prohibition does not prevent imposing more stringent security measures on the general population or granting privileges to some inmates as incentives.
LaChance v. Commissioner of Correction, 463 Mass. 767 (2012)	Standard for determining whether prison conditions impose an impermissible "significant hardship."	The court found no merit in the plaintiffs' argument that the conditions imposed constituted a significant hardship.
Fabre v. Walton, 441 Mass. 9 (2004)	Authority regarding the awarding of attorney's fees.	The court denied the defendants' request for attorney's fees under this precedent.
Chace v. Curran, 71 Mass. App. Ct. 258 (2008)	Authority on the persuasive value of summary decisions issued pursuant to rule 1:28.	The court noted that summary decisions are not binding precedent but may be cited for persuasive value.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The court analyzed the plaintiffs' claims by first considering the statutory "kindness" requirement under G. L. c. 127, § 32, which mandates equal treatment of prisoners not under discipline "as far as may reasonably be." The court agreed with the motion judge that the defendants' imposition of greater restrictions was a response to violent incidents and applied uniformly to substantially all inmates, except for a small number housed in specialized units with more generous conditions as a reward for compliance. The court found it logical and reasonable to maintain such specialized units to incentivize good behavior.

Regarding constitutional due process claims, the court found no violation because the restrictions did not discriminate against the plaintiffs specifically but applied broadly. The court also rejected the plaintiffs' contention that the conditions imposed significant hardship, citing precedent that sets a high bar for such claims.

The court declined to consider the defendants' qualified immunity claim because the plaintiffs' claims failed on the merits. Additionally, the defendants appeared to have abandoned their argument regarding improper service.

The court also denied the defendants' requests for costs and attorney's fees, citing applicable procedural rules and precedent.

Holding and Implications

Judgment affirmed.

The court upheld the Superior Court's dismissal of the plaintiffs' complaint, concluding that the defendants did not violate the statutory "kindness" requirement or the plaintiffs' constitutional rights. The decision confirms the reasonableness of imposing uniform security restrictions in response to facility violence and upholds the use of specialized housing units as incentives for good behavior. No new legal precedent was established; the ruling directly affects only the parties by affirming the dismissal of the plaintiffs' claims.

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TONY B. GASKINS & others v. THOMAS DICKHAUT & others.

By the Court (Green, Meade & Agnes, JJ.), Clerk

NOTICE: Summary decisions issued by the Appeals Court pursuant to its rule 1:28, as amended by 73 Mass. App. Ct. 1001 (2009), are primarily directed to the parties and, therefore, may not fully address the facts of the case or the panel's decisional rationale. Moreover, such decisions are not circulated to the entire court and, therefore, represent only the views of the panel that decided the case. A summary decision pursuant to rule 1:28 issued after February 25, 2008, may be cited for its persuasive value but, because of the limitations noted above, not as binding precedent. See Chace v. Curran, 71 Mass. App. Ct. 258, 260 n.4 (2008).

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 1:28

The plaintiffs appeal from a judgment entered in the Superior Court, dismissing their complaint alleging violations of the plaintiffs' civil rights and seeking declaratory and injunctive relief and money damages. We discern no cause to disturb the judgment, and affirm, for essentially the reasons explained by the motion judge in his written memorandum of law.

As the motion judge observed, the essence of the plaintiffs' claim is the contention that the defendants violated G. L. c. 127, § 32, the so-called "kindness" statute, by imposing greater restrictions on the conditions applicable to the prison units in which they are housed. In so doing, the plaintiffs contend, the defendants violated the statutory requirement "to assure 'equal treatment, as far as may reasonably be, for prisoners who are not being disciplined' (emphasis added)." Hastings v. Commissioner of Correction, 424 Mass. 46, 53 (1997), quoting from Blaney v. Commissioner of Correction, 374 Mass. 337, 341 (1978). Like the motion judge, we disagree.

Relatedly, the plaintiffs also contend on the same grounds that the defendants violated their constitutional right to procedural due process.

As a threshold matter, we observe that the restrictions imposed by the defendants (in response to a series of violent incidents within the facility) do not discriminate against the plaintiffs as compared to the general prison population; to the contrary, substantially all inmates within the facility are subject to the same conditions of confinement. Two exceptions (for the long-term unit and the residential treatment unit) allow a small number of inmates to enjoy more generous conditions of confinement; as the motion judge observed, it is "logical and reasonable" for the defendants to maintain certain specialized housing units at the facility to "reward compliance" with facility rules and regulations. Contrary to the plaintiffs' contention, the prohibition in Haverty v. Commissioner of Correction, 437 Mass. 737, 756-757 (2002), against confining inmates in isolated or segregated units for nondisciplinary reasons does not extend to the imposition of more stringent security measures on the general inmate population, nor does the extension of certain privileges to some inmates, as a reward or an incentive for good behavior, require that the same privileges be extended to all inmates except for those found guilty of disciplinary infractions.

There likewise is no merit to the plaintiffs' suggestion that the more stringent conditions imposed on the general population impose an impermissibly "significant hardship." LaChance v. Commissioner of Correction, 463 Mass. 767, 774 (2012).,

Our conclusion that the plaintiffs' claims fail on the merits obviates any need to consider the defendants' claim of qualified immunity. On appeal, the defendants appear to have abandoned their contention that the plaintiffs failed to make effective service on them.

The defendants' request for costs is denied. See Mass.R.A.P. 26(b) (costs shall not be awarded to Commonwealth unless authorized by law). To the extent the defendants request attorney's fees pursuant to Fabre v. Walton, 441 Mass. 9, 10-11 (2004), that request also is denied.

Judgment affirmed.

By the Court (Green, Meade & Agnes, JJ.),

The panelists are listed in order of seniority. --------

/s/

Clerk Entered: February 24, 2017.