For more than two decades, the highest court in the land has spoken.
Inmates have a constitutional right to adequate medical care.
An eight-month Journal Sentinel investigation has found dubious medical decisions and a pervasive lack of accountability in the deaths of Wisconsin inmates. The seminal court decision on correctional health care came in the case of Estelle vs. Gamble in 1976. A Texas prisoner alleged cruel and unusual punishment, in violation of the Eighth Amendment, because of inadequate treatment for a back injury. In a 1991 case, the Supreme Court modified Estelle. The case involved an Ohio inmate who brought a complaint alleging overcrowding, excessive noise, improper ventilation, unsanitary dining facilities and other problems.