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6 

BROWN v. PLATA 

SCALIA, J., dissenting 

McClintock,  Principles  of  Equity  §15,  pp.  32–33  (2d 
ed. 1948).  Indeed, there was a ‘historical prejudice of 
the court of chancery against rendering decrees which 
called for more than a single affirmative act.’  Id., §61,
at  160.  And  where  specific  performance  of  contracts
was sought, it was the categorical rule that no decree 
would  issue  that  required  ongoing  supervision.  .  .  .
Compliance with these ‘single act’ mandates could, in
addition  to  being  simple,  be  quick;  and  once  it  was 
achieved  the  contemnor’s  relationship  with  the  court
came  to  an  end,  at  least  insofar  as  the  subject  of  the
order was concerned.  Once the document was turned 
over  or  the  land  conveyed,  the  litigant’s  obligation  to 
the court, and the court’s coercive power over the liti-
gant,  ceased. . . .  The  court  did  not  engage  in  any  on-
going supervision of the litigant’s conduct, nor did its 
order  continue  to  regulate  its  behavior.”  Mine  Work-
ers v. Bagwell, 512 U. S. 821, 841–842 (1994) (SCALIA, 
J., concurring). 

Structural  injunctions  depart  from  that  historical  prac-
tice,  turning  judges  into  long-term  administrators  of
complex  social  institutions  such  as  schools,  prisons,  and
police departments.  Indeed, they require judges to play a 
role  essentially  indistinguishable  from  the  role  ordinarily 
played  by  executive  officials.    Today’s  decision  not  only 
affirms  the  structural  injunction  but  vastly  expands  its 
use,  by  holding  that  an  entire  system  is  unconstitutional
because it may produce constitutional violations. 

The  drawbacks  of  structural  injunctions  have  been 
described  at  great  length  elsewhere.  See,  e.g.,  Lewis, 
supra,  at  385–393  (1996)  (THOMAS,  J.,  concurring);  Mis-
souri  v.  Jenkins,  515  U. S.  70,  124–133  (1995)  (THOMAS, 
J.,  concurring);  Horowitz,  Decreeing  Organizational
Change:  Judicial  Supervision  of  Public  Institutions,  1983
Duke  L. J.  1265.    This  case  illustrates  one  of  their  most