A federal judge has heard testimony to determine whether California inmate’s civil rights were violated after pepper spray was used to force them out of their cells to administer court ordered medication, reports The Associated Press.
At an earlier trial, videos were made public showing “screaming inmates who refused to leave their cells” after being pepper sprayed, the AP reports. “What these videos have demonstrated is an institutionally sanctioned way of torturing mentally ill inmates,” said Jeffrey L. Bornstein, an attorney representing inmates, according to AP.
“Use of force is always a last resort for our staff, and cell extractions are typically done to keep inmates from harming themselves or others and to ensure that they are placed in a more appropriate mental health setting,” department spokesperson Deborah Hoffman said. “What you don’t see on these videos are the hours of discussions that take place between the inmate and clinical staff before a cell extraction is ordered and the video camera starts rolling.”
Since then, prison officials said that they would limit how much pepper spray could be used on inmates who do not comply with orders.
The 23-year-old court case has prompted comprehensive changes for the state’s prisons, including a cap on its inmate population by the federal court.
At the November trial, Dr. Edward Kaufman told the court little has changed in the 20 years since the federal court initially ruled guards used excessive force against mentally ill prisoners when they would not comply with their orders.
Separately, the judge also is considering whether mentally ill inmates on Death Row are given proper treatment, the AP reports.
The Death Row issues used an incident of a condemned inmate who punched out his own eyes with a pair of ballpoint pens, according to the AP.
“The psychotic inmate tried to kill himself three times at San Quentin State Prison but was never hospitalized. He finally hanged himself in April,” reports the AP.
The court’s written rulings on both cases are expected in the near future, the AP reports.
