Jones v. Obaisi, 1:15-cv-07963

Plaintiff Brian Jones, an inmate at Stateville Correctional Center, alleges deliberate indifference to medical needs under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, complaining of leg pain, throat pain, rectal bleeding, and post‑surgical wound issues from a December 31, 2015 abscess removal.
Plaintiff filed a pro se Motion for Medical Injunction and, through counsel, a Motion for a Preliminary Injunction seeking: outside specialist appointments, follow‑up care for his surgery, and effective pain medication.
Defendants submitted medical records and an affidavit (Dr. Obaisi) showing diagnoses (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, allergies, asthma) and multiple treatments and medications through February 7, 2016; records show post‑op wound inspections and some refusals by Plaintiff to be seen.
Plaintiff submitted later grievances alleging requests for effective pain medication were refused after the defendants’ submitted records cutoff.
The court applied the preliminary injunction standard (irreparable harm, inadequate remedies, likelihood of success) and the PLRA requirement that injunctive relief be narrow and least intrusive.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Outside appointment for leg/throat conditions	Jones says Defendants failed to diagnose/treat and should send him to an outside specialist	Defendants contend Jones has received proper treatment and diagnosis; no likelihood of success	Denied — records show diagnoses and varied treatments; no deliberate indifference shown
Effective pain medication	Jones alleges ongoing extreme pain and that requested/needed medications were denied after Feb 2016	Defendants did not substantively contest this claim in the record before the court	Granted — Jones showed irreparable harm, inadequate remedies, and some likelihood of success; balance of harms favors him
Follow‑up specialist for Dec 31, 2015 surgery	Jones seeks outside specialist follow‑up for surgical wound care	Defendants noted post‑op care and later scheduled an appointment	Denied as moot — an August 1, 2016 appointment was scheduled

BBL, Inc. v. City of Angola, 809 F.3d 317 (7th Cir. 2015) (preliminary injunction factors and balancing)
Girl Scouts of Manitou Council, Inc. v. Girl Scouts of U.S. of Am., Inc., 549 F.3d 1079 (7th Cir. 2008) (preliminary injunction standards)
Westefer v. Neal, 682 F.3d 679 (7th Cir. 2012) (PLRA limits on injunctive relief in prisons)
Graham v. Medical Mutual of Ohio, 130 F.3d 293 (7th Cir. 1997) (mandatory injunctions are disfavored)
Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825 (1994) (deliberate indifference standard under the Eighth Amendment)
Pyles v. Fahim, 771 F.3d 403 (7th Cir. 2014) (deference to medical judgment unless no minimally competent professional would agree)
Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97 (1976) (Eighth Amendment and prisoners’ medical care)
Sain v. Wood, 512 F.3d 886 (7th Cir. 2008) (evaluation of medical treatment decisions and deliberate indifference)
Greeno v. Daley, 414 F.3d 645 (7th Cir. 2005) (persisting in known ineffective treatment can violate the Eighth Amendment)