Supreme Court: West Texas Prison Guards Can be Sued for NSFW Inmate Treatment

LUBBOCK, TX – The United States Supreme Court made a decision whether or not guards at a Texas Prison could be sued over allegations of cruel and unusual punishment.

According to court documents, on Nov. 2, the Supreme Court ruled that the guards who were working at the Montford Unit in Lubbock could be sued for mistreatment of Trent Taylor while he was at the psychiatric prison during the fall of 2013.

The claim made by Taylor was that he was maliciously and sadistically treated while at Montford.

The supreme court ruled that “no reasonable correctional officer could have concluded that, under the extreme circumstances of this case, it was constitutionally permissible to house Taylor in such deplorably unsanitary conditions for such an extended period of time.”

This ruling eliminated the guards qualified immunity.

Here are the names of the defendants in the case:

Defendants Marion Williams, Raye Mitchell, Robert Stevens, Robert Riojas, Ricardo Cortez, Stephen Hunter, Larry Davidson, Jennifer Mares, Maria Reyna, Shane Swaney, Emma Parra, Chevis Parker, Raymundo Montez, Tyronne Jones, Darla Hubble, Tricinia Gipson, Randy Hancock, Randy Crain, Shawn Vallance, Melissa Olmstead, Lanette Linthicum, Rebecca Ramirez, Creastor Henderson, Stephanie Orr, Susan Nash, Debra Fielder, Shauna Carpenter, Michael Mcdonald, Opal Mankins, Allan Hanretta, Janis Woodall, Kim Davis, Sean O’Donnel, Marliyn Noble, Priya Kandheria, and Denise Deshields. 

The following may be graphic some readers. 

Prior to Taylor's arrival at the Montford Unit, he was located at the Robertson Unit in Abilene. While in Abilene he took fourteen Lortab tablets and was admitted into the local hospital for suicide treatment. 

Following his hospital visit, Taylor was moved to the Montford Unit on September 6, 2013. The Montford Unit is a state jail facility used mainly to treat psychiatric patients.

Taylor was initially booked into cell B-2. He claims that B-2 was covered in feces.

"While confined to that cell he claims he was subjected to filthy conditions in the cell, including fecal matter on the floor, ceiling, walls, and water facet. In regard to the water faucet, he claims that he was unable to drink water during his confinement because the faucet was packed with feces." stated the affidavit.

Taylor was forced to stay in this cell for six days. During that time Taylor claims he did not eat or drink for days due to fear of contamination. He was also forced to not wear anything besides a suicide blanket.

After complaints of the room Taylor was moved to another cell that also was ridden with feces. According to Taylor, Cortez confirmed with another officer whether the cell was the one with fecal matter in it and stated that Taylor was “going to have a long weekend.”

Taylor refused to go into the room and a Sargent was called in. During the conversation with the Sargent, Taylor was told that he was to return to the cell “regardless.” Taylor also claims that when he specifically explained to the Sergeant that there was fecal matter “everywhere,” the Sargent told him, “Dude, this is Montford, there is [excrement] in all these cells from years of psych patients.” Taylor claims the Sergeant ultimately told him, “Well you know what you got to say,” which, according to Taylor, meant that if he stated that he wanted to hurt himself, he would be moved from the dirty cell to a seclusion cell. Taylor told the Sargent that he would “do whatever is necessary to not go back into B-2, 45 cell . . . so for ‘the record,’ I want to hurt myself.”

He was then taken to place known as the cold room. The 10x10 room had nothing but a drainage hole. When Taylor attempted to use the hole raw sewage spewed out. Taylor was forced to stay in the feces filled room for days.

He was finally let out of the unit on Nov. 7, 2013.