Case: Peterkin v. Jeffes

2:83-00304 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Filed Date: Jan. 19, 1983

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

In 1983, death row inmates confined at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions at Graterford, Huntingdon, and Pittsburgh filed a Section 1983 class action suit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against officials of the Bureau of Corrections of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. Plaintiffs challenged the conditions of their confinement under the Eighth Amendment, restrictions on their first amendment right to the …

In 1983, death row inmates confined at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions at Graterford, Huntingdon, and Pittsburgh filed a Section 1983 class action suit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against officials of the Bureau of Corrections of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. Plaintiffs challenged the conditions of their confinement under the Eighth Amendment, restrictions on their first amendment right to the free exercise of religion, and restrictions on their sixth amendment right to access to the courts.

Following eleven days of hearings, the District Court (Judge Joseph L. McGlynn) held that the conditions of confinement did not inflict cruel and unusual punishment; prison policy prohibiting religious activities that required congregation did not violate the First Amendment; and restrictions on access to the prison library did not violate right to access to the courts. Peterkin v. Jeffes, 661 F. Supp. 895 (E.D. Pa. 1987). Plaintiffs appealed.

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals (Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr.) affirmed in part, vacated in part, and remanded. The Court of Appeals held that plaintiffs had failed to establish that the totality of conditions of their confinement constituted cruel and unusual punishment, but also held that defendants' practice of only providing access to legal materials by request did not provide plaintiffs meaningful access to the courts. Peterkin v. Jeffes, 855 F.2d 1021 (3d Cir. 1988).

Following remand, the parties entered into negotiations and reached a settlement, which was approved by the court in November 1989. Peterkin v. Jeffes, 1989 WL 140489 (E.D. Pa. November 14, 1989). The settlement provided for the creation of a mini-law library in each Restricted Housing Unit, where death-sentenced individuals are housed, and allowed two class members to work together unless there is an "articulable security objection."

In 1991, an inmate moved to enforce the terms of the agreement claiming that he had been denied access to the law library while working with another inmate. The court denied the inmate's motion holding that inmates who are confined to disciplinary custody based on a breach of serious prison regulations constitute an "articulable security objection." Peterkin v. Jeffes, 1991 WL 137122 (E.D. Pa. October 26, 1991).

The docket for this case is not available on PACER, and therefore our information ends with the most recent decision, dated July 19, 1991.

Summary Authors

Eoghan Keenan (6/10/2005)

Related Cases

Tillery v. Owens, Western District of Pennsylvania (1987)

People


Judge(s)

Higginbotham, Aloyisus Leon Jr. (Pennsylvania)

McGlynn, Joseph Leo Jr. (Pennsylvania)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Bronstein, Donald S. (Pennsylvania)

Crawford, James D. (Pennsylvania)

Presser, Stefan (Pennsylvania)

Attorney for Defendant
Judge(s)

Higginbotham, Aloyisus Leon Jr. (Pennsylvania)

McGlynn, Joseph Leo Jr. (Pennsylvania)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

2:83-00304

Memorandum of Decision

May 4, 1987

May 4, 1987

Order/Opinion

661 F.Supp. 661

87-01312

Opinion of the Court

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Aug. 23, 1988

Aug. 23, 1988

Order/Opinion

855 F.2d 855

2:83-00304

Memorandum

Nov. 14, 1989

Nov. 14, 1989

Order/Opinion

1989 WL 1989

2:83-00304

Memorandum

Oct. 26, 1990

Oct. 26, 1990

Order/Opinion

1990 WL 1990

90-01715

Table

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Jan. 28, 1991

Jan. 28, 1991

Order/Opinion

925 F.2d 925

2:83-00304

Memorandum

July 19, 1991

July 19, 1991

Order/Opinion

1991 WL 1991

91-01736

Table

Peterkin v. Thornburgh

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Jan. 8, 1992

Jan. 8, 1992

Order/Opinion

953 F.2d 953

Docket

Last updated Jan. 25, 2024, 3:05 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Pennsylvania

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: Jan. 19, 1983

Case Ongoing: No reason to think so

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

death row inmates confined at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Granted

Defendants

State Correctional Institution (Pittsburgh), State

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Free Exercise Clause

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Mixed

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 1989 - None

Issues

General:

Access to lawyers or judicial system

Religious programs / policies

Totality of conditions

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Administrative segregation

Law library access

Library (non-law) access

Type of Facility:

Government-run