Rhode Island Inmate Civil Death Statute Unconstitutional

Two prisoners serving life sentences who are suing the Rhode Island Department of Corrections for negliegence had their claims revived by the state supreme court Wednesday.

The state’s civil death statute, under which inmates serving life sentences are deemed civilly dead and therefore unable to file civil lawsuits, violates the Rhode Island Constitution’s guarantee that all citizens have access to state courts, the opinion by Justice Erin Lynch Prata said.

Cody-Allen Zab, who is serving a life sentence for murder, sued the department for negligence after he was burned by an exposed hot water pipe near the inmates’ telephone. Jose ...