H.C., by his next friend and attorney, Carol HEWETT,
individually and on behalf of all others similarly
situated, Plaintiffs,
and
Raymond Ogletree*, individually, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Dee JARRARD, in her capacity as Direct Services Supervisor
of the Fla. Dept. of Health & Rehabilitative
Services, et al., Defendants-Appellees.
No. 83-3676.
United States Court of Appeals,
Eleventh Circuit.
April 15, 1986.
Jonathan Hewett, Lexington, Ky., C. James Dulfer, Cent. Fla. Legal Services, Inc., Daytona Beach, Fla., for plaintiff-appellant.
Claire Dryfuss, Asst. Gen. Counsel, Fla. Dept. of Health & Rehab. Services, Harden King, Tallahassee, Fla., for defendants-appellees.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
Before KRAVITCH and CLARK, Circuit Judges, and PECK**, Senior Circuit Judge.
KRAVITCH, Circuit Judge:
Juvenile detainees brought a class action, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. section 1983, challenging the conditions and practices at the Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center (Center) operated by the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS). After extensive hearings, the district court entered sweeping injunctive relief designed tо bring the Center up to constitutional standards. Raymond Ogletree had been incarcerated at the Center and was permitted to intervene in the class action to pursue individual damage claims. This appeal concerns only Ogletree's individual claims. The district court awarded nominal damages on Ogletree's claims that the imposition of extended isolation without notice and hearing and the conditions of that isolation violated the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment. The district court further concluded that the named defendants had not deliberately deprived Ogletree of medicаl attention and that defendant Wade's battery of Ogletree did not rise to a constitutional violation.
Ogletree appeals the award of only nominal damages on his first two claims and the district court's conclusions that he suffered no constitutional deprivation when he was assaulted by a superintendent at the Center and that the named defendants had not denied him medical attention. We conclude that Ogletree was entitled to more than nominal damages on his first two claims and remand to the district court to determine proper compensatory and punitive damages. Moreover, the district court's conсlusions that Wade's assault and subsequent denial of medical attention did not violate Ogletree's constitutional rights are incorrect. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment for defendants on these latter claims and remand for a determination of damages.
I. BACKGROUND
The majority of youths confined at the Volusia Center await trial on delinquency charges. The Center also houses children who have been adjudicated delinquent but either have not had disposition hearings or are awaiting placement in a treatment facility.
The district court's findings and our review of the record reveal the following facts.
Ogletree, then sixteen yeаrs old, was confined to the Center from April 14, 1979 through May 10, 1979, and again from July 24, 1979 through September 10, 1979, pending trial on delinquency charges. Throughout Ogletree's incarceration, defendant-appellee, Richard Wade, was the superintendent of the Center.1 On April 25, 1979, Ogletree laughed when another detainee attempted to flush a pair of undershorts down a toilet. Wade arrived on the scene after the first detainee had been removed and taken to isolation. Ogletree continued laughing and protesting the imposition of isolation on the first detainee. Ogletree testified that Wade then slammed him against a wall and informed him thаt he too would be placed in isolation. Wade and three staff members then took him to isolation. Ogletree testified that, once inside the cell, his shoulder was injured when Wade shoved him against the wall and a metal cot in the cell. Ogletree remained isolated for seven consecutive days as a result of this incident.2 He was not provided written notice of the charges against him nor given an opportunity to defend himself before an impartial person or to call witnesses in his behalf. Ogletree testified at trial that he never knew how long his isolation would last; his affidavit indicates that he was merely told that he would remain in isolation until Wade decided to release him. His demands for medical attention for his injured shoulder were ignored until the third day of isolation when he was transported to the emergency room of a local hospital. There, his wound was cleaned and he was injected with a muscle relaxant for pain. No further medical treatment was needed and Ogletree did not suffer permanent physical scarring.
Ogletree's seven day isolation took place in a small concrete cell with a solid door. The room had no furnishings except a metal bunk and toilet. Ogletree was stripped to his underwear and was not allowеd visitors. He took his meals in the cell, but was released to shower at about 10 p.m. every other evening. He was not permitted any reading or writing materials or any other means to occupy himself, nor was he permitted outdoor exercise. He could not flush his own toilet because the controls were outside the cell. He had to bang on the door of his cell to capture the attention of workers who might not flush his toilet until several hours later.
Once when Ogletree banged on the cell door, the staff informed him that they were tired of his banging. Four staff members entered his cell and shackled his legs with metal cuffs to one end of his bunk. His wrists wеre handcuffed over his head to the other end of the bunk.3 Ogletree testified that he remained restrained in this fashion for "several hours" and was not told when he would be unshackled. He also testified as to the mental anguish caused by both the isolation and the shackling.
Defendants did not controvert Ogletree's testimony. Wade testified that spring, 1979, was a very tense time due to crowded conditions and difficult youths at the Center. Wade claimed that Ogletree had a reputation for being an unmanageable troublemaker who regularly engaged in altercations with others. Wade further testified that Ogletree was isolated for more than six hours4 because of an emergency situation prompted by a rumor that a gun had been secreted in the Center and by an incident in which a detainee had obtained the Center's master keys. On cross-examination it became apparent that Ogletree was isolated the day before the gun rumor circulated and several days after the keys incident with which Ogletree was not involved.
Ogletree introduced into evidence five incident reports which were the sum total of reports concerning him. There was no indication from these reports that Ogletree ever harmed or threatened to harm another detainee or Center employee or that he ever damaged property. One report reveals an instance of the use of profanity; another relates that Ogletree once was caught sneaking books into his cell because, according to the report's author, he was bored. A detention evaluation reflects that Ogletree generally participated in activities and followed rules and notes that Ogletree's biggest problem was his habit of "mouthing off."
II. OGLETREE'S CLAIMS ON APPEAL
Ogletree appeals the district court's determination that Wade's battery and subsequent denial of medical attention were not constitutional viоlations. The district court also concluded, however, that the denial of notice and hearing regarding the imposition of isolation as well as the length and conditions of the solitary confinement violated Ogletree's due process rights. Naturally, Ogletree does not appeal these latter conclusions; he merely contends that the court erred in awarding only nominal damages on these claims. We address this latter contention in part III, infra.
A. The Battery
The district court, relying on Ingraham v. Wright,
The situation here is different. Initially we must decide whether the Volusia Center is closer to a public school (controlled by Ingraham ) or a prison (controlled by constitutional standards pertinent to detainees and convicts). The question is not difficult; the Center is for juveniles who have run afoul of the law. Regardless of one's view of corporal punishment in the schoolhouse, it is routinely permitted in numerous states. Ingraham,
We are mindful of Judge Friendly's admonition that "[n]ot every push or shove, even if it may later seem unnecessary in the peace of a judge's chambers, violates a prisoner's constitutional rights." Johnson v. Glick,
In Shillingford v. Holmes,
Several facts indicate that Wade crossed the bounds of constitutional behavior. It is uncontroverted that when Wade first shoved Ogletree against a wall, Ogletree was merely giggling at the prank of another detainee and protesting the imposition of isolation on that detainee.6 There is no indication whatsoever that Ogletree threatened to harm any property, employees or other detainees at the Center when Wade shoved him initially or when Wade slammed him against the wall and metal bunk of the isolation cell. Moreover, the rumor that a gun had been hidden at the Center was exposed on cross examination as not temporally related to the battery of Ogletree. Based upon the uncontroverted evidence, there was no need for Wade to apply force to Ogletree. Specifically, there was no need to shove Ogletree against a wall in the isolation cell or to confine him in the isolation cell to stop him from laughing at another detainee's actions. Accordingly, the balance of the first two Johnson factors weighs in Ogletree's favor.
The balance of the remaining Johnson factors also favors Ogletree. Although Ogletree suffered no permanent physical scarring, his injuries did require medical treatment. Because we are assessing the injuries of a juvenile suffered at the hands of an adult jailor, we will not dismiss Ogletree's injuries as negligible solely because by fortuitous circumstance Ogletree did not suffer broken bones and permanent disfigurement. See note 10 infra; cf. Shillingford,
Whether Wade acted in good faith to maintain discipline or to sadistically harm Ogletree is a more difficult question. Courts rarely assess the motives of correctional officers and discover intentions of pure good or evil. In light of the needless imposition of force, the subsequent shackling and denial of medical care, and the district court's conclusion that length and conditions of isolation "amounted to punishment in violation of the due process clause," we conclude that Wade's shoving of Ogletree was one of a series of acts intended to punish Ogletree rather than maintain discipline. We conclude, therefore, that Wade's battery of Ogletreе amounted to a constitutional violation.
B. Denial of Medical Care
In Estelle v. Gamble,
The district court, however, held that the named defendants were not responsible for denying Ogletree medical care. We disagree. It is axiomatic, in section 1983 actions, that liability must be based on something more than a theory of respondeat superior. Monell v. Department of Social Services,
Our review of the record and the district court's findings convince us that Ogletree did indeed sue those who were responsible for denying him medical care. Wade was responsible both personally and in his capacity as the Center's superintendent. Wade personally inflicted the injury to Ogletree's shoulder when he threw Ogletree against the wall and metal bunk in the isolation cell. Although section 1983 redresses only torts of constitutional dimension, section 1983 defendants are, as in common law tort suits, nonetheless responsible for the natural consequences of their actions. Monroe v. Pape,
III. DAMAGES
The district court awarded nominal damages of one dollar against Wade to compensate Ogletree for the imposition of isolation without procedural due process and the imposition of isolation for a period beyond the maximum period set out in the HRS regulations.9 For the reasons set out below we conclude that Ogletree was entitled to compensatory and punitive damage awаrds for these deprivations. On remand the district court also will have to determine the proper amount of damages for Wade's battery and denial of medical care.
A. Compensatory Damages
In Carey v. Piphus,
Our review of the record convinces us that "real injury can be inferred from the facts." Baskin v. Parker,
Compensation for wrongful incarceration in isolation must also redress Ogletree's emotional damages. Emotional injury is actionable under section 1983 for humiliation, embarrassment, and mental distress resulting from the deprivation оf a constitutional right. Baskin v. Parker,
We do not determine the amount of damages Ogletree should receive. Many courts considering awards for wrongful imposition of isolation provide a lump sum, see Furtado,
B. Punitive Damages
The district court found that Wade's conduct "was not so egregious nor did it exhibit maliciousness or ill will so as to warrant punitive damages." We conclude that this finding is erroneous.
In Smith v. Wade,
IV. CONCLUSION
We AFFIRM the district court's order insofar as it determined that the imposition and conditions of isolation violated due process. We REVERSE the order insofar as it absolved defendant Wade from liability for the denial of medical attention and determined that Wade's battery did not amount to a constitutional violation. We further REVERSE the lower court's order insofar as it limited Ogletree's award to nominal damages. We conclude that the facts establish actual compensable injury and conduct sufficiently egregious to warrant punitive damages. We REMAND so that the district court may determine the proper amounts of actual and punitive damages and enter judgment accordingly.12
Notes
Ogletree was referred to as R.O. in the district court's order because he was a minor when he intervened in this action. No longer a minor, Ogletree fully disclosed his identity in his appellate proceedings. We conclude, therefore, that he has waived anonymity
Honorable John W. Peck, Senior U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, sitting by designation
The other defendants-appellees in this case are: Dee Jarrard, a direct services supervisor whose responsibilities included supervision over HRS's intake functions in Volusia County, Florida, Vincent McClintock, a district administrator for HRS who had direct supervisory responsibility over superintendent Wade and, David Pingree, the Secretary оf HRS, the agency responsible for the operation of juvenile detention centers in Florida. Ogletree essentially challenges the conduct of Wade; the three other defendants are liable to Ogletree in their supervisory capacities to the extent that they either set or condoned the policies that deprived Ogletree of his constitutional due
This court declined to hear appellees' oral argument because they failed to file a brief.
Ogletree testified that he was isolated for eight days; defendants suggested that the isolation lasted six days. The district court found, however, that the isolation lasted seven days
Although the district court found that both of Ogletree's wrists and ankles were shackled to the bed, Ogletree's testimony suggests that only one wrist and one ankle were shackled. This does not render the incident less shocking, but explains how Ogletree slid the mattress off his bunk while yelling, kicking and "trying to pop [his] leg and arm off." Ogletree, direct testimony at 24-25
HRS regulations set a six hour maximum for time in isolation. Defendants contended that Wade relied in good faith on proposed regulations that were never enacted. The proposed regulations provided in relevant part:
(5) No child shall be confined for isolation purpоses for a continuous time period exceeding six hours, excluding the regular sleeping period, without the written justification and authorization of the superintendent. The superintendent, as a basis for authorizing continued isolation beyond six (6) hours, shall personally discuss the incident or incidents with all involved children and staff and shall review all pertinent written reports.
(6) Isolation shall be used only when a child is beyond the control of the staff.
Defendants Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law at 15. There is no indication, however, that Wade followed the proposed regulations. Ogletree was immediately placed in isolatiоn after laughing at another detainee's actions. Wade never discussed with Ogletree the reasons why isolation was imposed or how long it would last.
The Eleventh Circuit, in the en banc decision Bonner v. City of Prichard,
We do not suggest that a pretrial detainee may never be disciplined. "Not every disability imposed during pretrial detention amounts to 'punishment' in the constitutional sense.... Bell,
As in Shillingford, where the plaintiff was photographing an arrest when assaulted,
As previously noted, our recent decision in Hamm held that detainees must receive at least the same minimum standards of care as convicted inmates. Implicit in the Hamm holding, therefore, is that detainees may maintain civil rights actions against state institution supervisors under standards similar to those used to analyze the claims of convicted inmates
Ogletree does not argue, and the district court did not find, that defendants Jarrard, Pingree and McClintock were responsible in their supervisory capacities for Wade's physical abuse of Ogletree and denial of medical care. Although Ogletree's brief states that an issue on appeal is "whether state supervisory personnel are liable for the reckless neglect of a prisoner's medical needs," Ogletree's argument focuses entirely on Wade's supervisory liability for this deprivation. See Appellant's Brief at viii, 7-10. Accordingly, we do not address possible liability of defendants Jarrard, Pingree аnd McClintock on the battery and medical inattention claims
The district court found that "[d]efendants ... violated the procedural due process requirements of the fourteenth amendment." H.C. v. Jarrard, No. TCA 79-0830 at 39 (N.D.Fla. Oct. 17, 1983) (Mem. Opinion). The district court also determined that the length and conditions of isolation, as well as the shackling of Ogletree, violated due process and stated that Wade was responsible for the imposition of isolation and shackling of Ogletree. Ogletree does not argue that Jarrard, McClintock or Pingree were responsible for the imposition of isolation or his shackling. Because the district court еntered injunctive relief against all defendants regarding isolation conditions and procedures, on remand it may wish to clarify whether it awards damages against Jarrard, McClintock and Pingree in their supervisory capacities for the length and conditions of Ogletree's isolation and denial of procedural due process.
Although the district court found that "the length of isolation, the shackling while in isolation, and the conditions of isolation amounted to [a constitutional violation]," it premised its award on the finding that "Wade should have known ... some due process should have been afforded [Ogletree]" and that the length of isolаtion violated HRS regulations. We assume that the district court included the shackling and conditions of isolation in its award of nominal damages
"Our society recognizes that juveniles in general are in the earlier stage of their emotional growth, that their intellectual development is incomplete, that they have had only limited practical experience, and that their value systems have not yet been clearly identified or firmly adopted...." Martin, supra, quoting with approval, People ex rel. Wayburn v. Schupf,
The district court determined that "Wade should have known that at least some due process should have been afforded to [Ogletree]" and that "the length of isolation was in violation of HRS's own regulations." H.C. v. Jarrard, slip op. supra at 40
Wade's actions specifically violated HRS regulations that proscribe isolation for more than six hours and shackling nondangerous juveniles. Id. at 17, 19. Cf. Dudley v. Stewart,
There are four discrete injuries that must be redressed: (1) the imposition of isolation without notice or hearing; (2) the excessive length and conditions of isolation (including shackling); (3) the unjustified and excessive force applied to Ogletree (Wade's battery); and (4) the denial of medical care. As noted above, the district court's award of nominal damages for the first two injuries was inadequate
