DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware prison officials are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that they are unconstitutionally subjecting mentally ill prisoners to solitary confinement without proper evaluation, monitoring and treatment.
State attorneys filed court papers this week arguing that Community Legal Aid Society Inc. lacks standing to sue on behalf of the inmates it purports to represent. They say that even if CLASI has a right to sue, the lawsuit still fails to establish standing because of the “prolific” generalities and vague language in its allegations. State attorneys also argue that the lawsuit is barred by the U.S. Constitution.
CLASI, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, argues that solitary confinement can exacerbate symptoms of mentally ill inmates’ disorders and violates their constitutional rights, amounting to cruel and unusual punishment.
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