MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
Plaintiff Nicholas Solivan (“Solivan”) filed suit against Thomas Dart, (“Dart”), Commander Michael Dembosz (“Dembosz”), Sergeant H. Thompson (“Thompson”), Officer Richard Revolorio (“Revolorio”), and the County of Cook, Illinois (“Cook County”) (collectively “Defendants”), for violations of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Solivan alleges that he was a pre-trial detainee in the Cook County Department of Corrections whom the Defendants’ failed to protect in violation of his constitutional rights. Defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss contending that Solivan failed to allege the requisite knowledge and culpability to state a claim of deliberate indifference. Additionally, Defendants contend that the claims against newly-added Dembosz, Thompson, Revolorio and Cook County are time-barred by the applicable Illinois statute of limitations for § 1983 claims. For the following reasons, the Court denies the Motion to Dismiss with respect to Revolorio in Count I; grants the Motion with respect to Dart, Dembosz, Thompson and Cook County in Count I; and grants the Motion with respect to Count II. The Court also permits Solivan leave the file an Amended Complaint within 14 days to allege an indemnification charge against the County relating to Count I against Revolorio.
I. STATEMENT OF FACTS
The following facts are taken from Solivan’s Second Amended Complaint and are assumed to be true for purposes of this Motion to Dismiss.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., seven unnamed African American inmates entered Solivan’s cell and began striking him on his head and body causing severe injuries to his right eye, bleeding from his ear, numerous contusions to his face, and fractures of his lower back that left him in a wheelchair for the following 10 months. (¶ 23, 44). Solivan screamed for the duration of the five-minute attack as well as for the next two and a half hours. (¶¶ 24-25). The first time that a correctional officer attended to Solivan in his cell was at approximately 6:15 p.m. (¶ 25).
Deputy Revolorio was the Tier officer assigned to Solivan’s tier during the time of the incident, and was solely responsible for 38 detainees. (¶¶ 7, 29). Revolorio was stationed in the control room, commonly referred to as the “bubble,” where he could not see into the cells nor into the common areas where inmates might be walking outside of their cells. (¶¶22, 26). From the bubble, Revolorio could not hear if any noise was coming from the cells because the television in the day room was very loud where the inmates were also working out. (¶ 27). The only area from which an officer could personally observe the common areas and cells was the catwalk, and Revolorio was aware that the inmates knew when there was no officer on the catwalk. (¶ 28). Revolorio remained in the bubble from 3:30 p.m. to 6:18 p.m., which violated several Cook County Jail Standards (“Jail Standards”), including requiring personal observation by an officer
Solivan describes several additional prison conditions that he believes resulted in his alleged attack. Solivan contends that there were no light bulbs in his cell, no intercoms or emergency call buttons in the cells, and no overhead cameras on the Tier. (¶¶ 34-36). Most important for the incident, Solivan explains that cell doors could be manipulated by inmates by inserting toothpaste caps or bottle caps to obstruct the locking mechanism, though they would register as locked on the central panel in the bubble, as seen by Revolorio. (¶ 37). Solivan alleges that Revolorio knew of this problem with the cell doors long before the date of the incident, as the problem was discussed almost every day at roll call, as well as due to the bimonthly fights that erupted in Tier C Section 2. (¶ 38-39). Solivan alleges that Revolorio remained in the bubble from 3:30 p.m. to 6:18 p.m. though he knew there would be no direct supervision of the inmates, knew that the inmates knew this, and knew that if any inmate were attacked in his cell he would be unable to see or hear what happened. (¶ 41).
Solivan initially filed suit pro se on March 30, 2010, against Dart and several John Doe officers, whom he described as being on duty at the time of the incident on March 3, 2009. (Doc. 5). Solivan then hired counsel, who filed his appearance on November 29, 2010. (Doc. 38). In Solivan’s First Amended Complaint, Solivan named as Defendants Cook County and Dart in his official capacity. Solivan also substituted the John Doe officers with Commander Dembosz, Thompson and Revolorio in their individual capacities.
II. STANDARD OF REVIEW
When considering a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the Court accepts as true all facts alleged in the complaint and construes all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff. See Murphy,
III. DISCUSSION
A pretrial detainee is constitutionally protected from undue punishment by the due process guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment.
A. The Claims are Note Time-Barred
Defendants argue that Solivan’s addition of the individual capacity claims against the newly-named Defendants Dembosz, Thompson and Revolorio violates Rule 15(c) and is barred by the applicable state of limitations. Section 1983 claims in Illinois are governed by Illinois’ two-year statute of limitations on personal injury actions. See Williams v. Lampe,
To substitute the John Does with Dembosz, Thompson and Revolorio as individual defendants, Solivan’s amendment must satisfy Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(c)(1), which allows amendment to a pleading that would otherwise be time-barred when the amendment relates back to the date of the original pleading.
Here, the incident occurred on March 3, 2009, and Solivan timely filed his § 1983 suit on March 30, 2010, against Dart and several “John Doe” officers who were working their shift between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. on that date, with specificity as to their duties save for their names.
Defendants claim Solivan’s action did not provide adequate notice, citing to Wood v. Worachek,
In Wood, the court denied the amendment as not relating back because nearly six years had elapsed between the date the plaintiff took a police officer’s deposition and the date he sought to amend the complaint to name the officer as a party defendant when the remaining named defendants were all jailers.
Although Solivan’s counsel appears to have been careless in amending the pro se Complaint despite having identified the officers, the Seventh Circuit held that while a plaintiffs carelessness in failing to discover his mistake is relevant to a defendant’s claim of prejudice, “carelessness is no longer a ground independent of prejudice for refusing to allow relation back.” Joseph,
B. The Complaint States a Claim for Deliberate Indifference
Solivan, as a pretrial detainee, was constitutionally protected from punishment by the due process guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment, and his claim is analyzed under the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment. Cavalieri v. Shepard,
The objective prong, a deprivation of life’s minimal necessities, includes “reasonable safety.” DeShaney v. Winnebago County Dep’t of Social Serv.,
The Court’s inquiry cannot stop there, as the second element of the officers’ actual state of mind of “deliberate indifference” to the deprivation must also be sufficiently pled. Deliberate indifference is something approaching total unconcern for a plaintiffs welfare in the face of serious risks, or a conscious, culpable refusal to prevent harm. Duane v. Lane,
Prison employees who act with deliberate indifference to the inmates’ safety violate the Eighth Amendment. But to be guilty of “deliberate indifference” they must know they are creating a substantial risk of bodily harm. If they place a prisoner in a cell that has a cobra, but they do not know that there is a cobra there (or even that there is a high probability that there is a cobra there), they are not guilty of deliberate indifference even if they should have known about the risk, that is, even if they were negligent — even grossly negligent or even reckless in the tort sense— in failing to know. But if they know that there is a cobra there or at least that there is a high probability of a cobra there, and do nothing, that is deliberate indifference.
Billman v. Indiana Dep’t of Corr., 56 F.3d 785, 788 (7th Cir.1995) (citations omitted). Solivan pleads that as a pre-trial detainee, he was the only person of Hispanic origin housed in the maximum security Tier C, Deck 2, while the significant majority of the other inmates were African-American. (Doc. 68, ¶ 17). These circumstances, Solivan argues, puts him in an “identifiable group of prisoners who are singled out for attack” which would obviate the need to establish Defendants’ actual state of mind. See Farmer, 511 U.S. at 843-844,
Nonetheless, Count I fails to plead any facts that involve Thompson, Dembosz or Dart despite naming them in the claim as jointly and severally liable for compensatory damages. Consequently, Count I is dismissed with respect to Thompson, Dembosz and Dart.
As for Count II, Solivan alleges that Revolorio’s supervisor, Thompson, knew of the aforementioned cell conditions that posed a substantial risk of serious harm and violated Jail Standards, but failed to supervise Revolorio, which constitutes deliberate indifference. (Doc. 68, ¶ 70-74). Count II also alleges that Dembosz was the shift commander at the time of the incident and supervisor to both Thompson and Revolorio, and failed to correct the security problem posed by the cell doors and the violations of the Jail Standards; allowed Revolorio to violate the Jail Standards requiring visual checks every 30 minutes; knew the inmates had received maximum security ratings but failed to supervise his subordinates properly, and failed to investigate why Solivan was injured and never read the USAO Report; behavior which constituted deliberate indifference. (¶¶ 62-69). Section 1983 creates a cause of action for damages based on personal liability; thus a plaintiff must show a defendant’s personal involvement or participation, or direct responsibility for the unsafe conditions of which he complains. Rascon v. Hardiman,
Count II also alleges that Dart, in his official capacity, never took steps to correct severe understaffing or to implement policies for improving the security features of the cells at CCDOC, despite his knowledge of the USAO Report, thereby constituting deliberate indifference to the prison conditions posing a substantial risk of serious harm. (¶¶ 58-60). It is unclear to the Court, and to Defendants, whether Solivan’s counsel meant for this claim to be converted into an individual claim when he made his oral argument before the Court. If the claim is to be converted into an individual claim, the Complaint does not state facts from which the Court could infer that Dart had any personal knowledge of or direct personal involvement in the events that led to Solivan’s injuries on March 3, 2009. That Dart is Revolorio’s, Dembosz’s and Thompson’s superior does not make him liable for their actions under the doctrine of respondeat superior. Gayton v. McCoy,
In addition, Solivan clarified in his Response to Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss that his claim against Cook County was based on its role as a necessary and indispensable party to the suit to indemnify Dart, Dembosz, Thompson and Revolorio. Therefore, the Court grants Solivan leave to amend his Second Amended Complaint to allege an indemnification charge against Cook County.
IV. CONCLUSION AND ORDER
For the foregoing reasons, the Court denies the Motion to Dismiss with respect to Revolorio in Count I; grants the Motion with respect to Dart, Dembosz, Thompson and Cook County in Count I; and grants the Motion with respect to Count II. The Court also permits Solivan leave the file an Amended Complaint within 14 days to allege an indemnification charge against the County relating to Count I against Revolorio.
Notes
. Solivan initially filed suit pro se on March 30, 2010, against Dart and several unnamed officers who were on duty at the time of the incident on March 3, 2009. (Doc. 5). Solivan then hired counsel, who filed his appearance on November 29, 2010. (Doc. 38). After the close of discovery, Dart filed a Motion for Summary Judgment on July 7, 2011. (Doc. 61). In response, Solivan filed for leave to file a First Amended Complaint. (Doc. 63). Solivan named as Defendants Cook County and Dart in his official capacity; and substituted the John Does with Commander Dembosz in his official capacity, Thompson in his individual and official capacities, and Revolorio in his individual and official capacities. At the status hearing at which he noticed his motion, the Court expressed concern over So
. Pursuant to Illinois Administrative Code title 20, § 701 (1997), Illinois’ county jail standards require adequate supervision and frequent personal observation of detainees:
§ 701.20(a)(4) "If the facility has more than one floor of detention, one jail officer shall be required for each additional floor when 15 or more detainees are confined. This minimum standard does not apply to the midnight shift provided the 30-minute supervisory checks are performed.”
§ 701.130(a)(1) "There must be sufficient officers present in the jail, awake and alert at all times, to provide supervision while detainees are in custody.”
§ 701.130(a)(2), "A jail officer shall provide personal observation, not including observation by a monitoring device, at least once every 30 minutes.”
§ 701.140(c)(10), "Jail officers shall conduct population spot checks at least hourly.”
.The record does not specify whether the incident occurred prior to or after Solivan’s Gerstein hearing. The Eighth Amendment does not apply to pretrial detainees, but as a pretrial detainee, Solivan was entitled to at least the same protection against deliberate indifference to his basic needs as is available to convicted prisoners under the Eighth Amendment. See Bell v. Wolfish,
. Solivan’s argument that the Illinois tolling statute is more generous than the federal equivalent is unavailing, because the Illinois statute’s language — without Solivan's redactions — displays no material difference or more generous terms than the federal equivalent. 735 ILCS 5/2-616.
. Solivan's pro se Complaint listed as Defendants: Officer John Doe # 1 who was the officer assigned to Division 1 Tier C2 for the 3
. The Court examined the exhibit that Solivan attached to his motion, the Officers' Living Unit Log, and finds that the document reveals Thompson and his badge number, as well as what illegibly appears to be Revolorio.
. The Seventh Circuit cites to Wood v. Worachek when stating that a "potential defendant who has not been named in a lawsuit by the time the statute of limitations has run is entitled to repose — unless it is or should be apparent to that person that he is the beneficiary of a mere slip of the pen, as it were.” Id. In this case, if Defendants were not substituted for the John Does, Defendants would be the beneficiaries of a slip of the pen when Solivan repeatedly penned his pro se motions against Dart and Cook County seeking the names of the officers based on their shift dates and times and posts at the MCC.
