Prison Warden Must Defend Inmate’s Unsanitary Confinement Claim

An Illinois prison warden can’t escape an inmate’s claim that she ignored the unsanitary conditions in his cell which led to medical issues, a federal court ruled.

Robert Simmons, a prisoner at Shawnee Correctional Center, alleged that mold in his cell caused his respiratory issues. Warden Lu Walker moved for summary judgment, arguing that Simmons failed to “demonstrate that a sufficiently serious medical condition arose from the conditions of his cells.”

The US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois denied the warden’s summary judgment bid May 19.

From February 2020 to July 2020 Simmons was placed in a ...