Opinion ID: 37056
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Due Process in Prison Disciplinary Hearings

Text: 8 Whether a denial of good-time credits creates a liberty interest protected by procedural due process is determined by state law. Hudson, 242 F.3d at 535-36. Under the Texas statutory scheme in place at the time of Richards's conviction in 1989, Richards was eligible for release to mandatory supervision at a date determined in part by his accrued good conduct time. Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 42.18, § 8(c) (Vernon 1988). We therefore assume that Richards has a liberty interest in his good-time credits. Malchi v. Thaler, 211 F.3d 953, 957-58 (5th Cir.2000). 5 9 When there is a protected liberty interest in good-time credit, the United States Supreme Court has held that due process demands only that there be some evidence to support a disciplinary officer's decision. Superintendent, Mass. Correctional Inst. v. Hill, 472 U.S. 445, 105 S.Ct. 2768, 2774, 86 L.Ed.2d 356 (1985). The fundamental fairness guaranteed by the Due Process Clause does not require courts to set aside decisions of prison administrators that have some basis in fact. Id. The Court noted that a reviewing court is not required to examine the entire record of a proceeding, independently assess witness credibility, or weigh the evidence. Id. Minimum procedures that must be followed in disciplinary hearings include 1) providing advance written notice to the accused of the claimed violation, 2) providing a written statement by the factfinder of the evidence relied upon and reasons for the disciplinary action taken, and 3) allowing the accused inmate to call witnesses and present documentary evidence in his defense when permitting him to do so will not be unduly hazardous to institutional safety or correctional goals. Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539, 94 S.Ct. 2963, 2979, 41 L.Ed.2d 935 (1974).