Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-04-03642/USCOURTS-ca8-04-03642-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 

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United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 04-3642

___________

Cesar Cordoba, *

*

Appellant, *

*

v. * Appeal from the United States

* District Court for the

Marvin D. Morrison, Warden, FCI - * Eastern District of Arkansas.

Forrest City; George E. Snyder, Former *

Warden, FCI - Forrest City; * [UNPUBLISHED]

*

Appellees, *

*

Ginny Van Buren, Associate Warden, *

FCI - Forrest City; *

*

Defendant, *

*

James Campbell, Superintendent of *

Industries (UNICOR), FCI - Forrest *

City; *

*

Appellee, *

*

Harold Ivey, Safety Department *

Manager, FCI - Forrest City; Brad *

Jurgensen, UNICOR Factory Manager, *

FCI - Forrest City; *

*

Defendants, *

*

Rick James, UNICOR Supervisor, FCI - *

Appellate Case: 04-3642 Page: 1 Date Filed: 10/11/2005 Entry ID: 1961614
1

The Honorable Susan Webber Wright, United States District Judge for the

Eastern District of Arkansas. 

2

The Honorable John F. Forster, Jr., United States Magistrate Judge for the

Eastern District of Arkansas, to whom the case was referred for final disposition by

consent of the parties pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).

-2-

Forrest City; United States Bureau of *

Prisons, FCI, Forrest City, Arkansas, *

*

Appellees. *

___________

Submitted: October 6, 2005

Filed: October 11, 2005

___________

Before MELLOY, MAGILL, and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Former federal inmate Cesar Cordoba sued the United States Bureau of Prisons

and various prison officials, asserting under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) that

he was injured as a result of defendants’ negligent failure to train him to use certain

machinery safely during his UNICOR employment. Cordoba also asserted a

retaliation claim under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of

Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971). The district court1 dismissed Cordoba’s Bivens

claim after he failed to provide proof of exhaustion. The magistrate judge2 dismissed

without prejudice Cordoba’s FTCA claim upon finding that his sole remedy against

the government was a claim under the Federal Prison Industries’ Inmate Accident

Compensation (IAC) system. See 18 U.S.C. § 4126; 28 C.F.R. §§ 301.101-.319.

Cordoba appeals both rulings. 

Appellate Case: 04-3642 Page: 2 Date Filed: 10/11/2005 Entry ID: 1961614
-3-

Following careful review of the record and Cordoba’s arguments on appeal, we

believe that Cordoba’s claims were properly dismissed. See 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a)

(exhaustion); 18 U.S.C. § 4126 (inmate compensation for injuries); Porter v. Nussle,

534 U.S. 516, 524, 532 (2002) (prisoner cannot bring Bivens action involving prison

conditions before exhausting available administrative remedies); United States v.

Demko, 385 U.S. 149, 151-54 (1966) (§ 4126 is exclusive remedy for federal

inmates’ work-related injuries, and FTCA actions which seek recovery for such

injuries are barred). In particular, the district court was not bound by an Institution

Safety Committee’s finding--which, as Cordoba was advised, was subject to review

by an IAC Committee upon his filing of an IAC claim--that his injury was not workrelated; the record does not indicate Cordoba pursued an available remedy by filing

an IAC claim; and Cordoba did not allege retaliation, or even facts from which a

retaliation claim could be inferred, in his prison grievances. 

Accordingly, the judgment is affirmed. 

______________________________

Appellate Case: 04-3642 Page: 3 Date Filed: 10/11/2005 Entry ID: 1961614