Opinion ID: 167613
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Liberty Interest Principles

Text: It is well established that lawfully incarcerated persons retain only a narrow range of protected liberty interests, Abbott v. M cCotter, 13 F.3d 1439, 1442 (10th Cir. 1994), and “[t]he Due Process Clause standing alone confers no liberty interest in freedom from state action taken within the sentence imposed.” Sandin -22- v. Conner, 515 U.S. 472, 480 (1995) (quotation marks and citation omitted). Generally, “the transfer of an inmate to less amenable and more restrictive quarters for nonpunitive reasons is well within the terms of confinement ordinarily contemplated by a prison sentence,” and therefore, “administrative segregation is the sort of confinement ... inmates should reasonably anticipate receiving at some point in their incarceration” and does not involve an interest independently protected by the Due Process Clause. Hewitt v Helms, 459 U.S. 460, 468 (1983). However, under the Supreme Court’s decision in Sandin, the government may create a liberty interest protected by the D ue Process Clause which is generally limited to freedom from restraint that “imposes atypical and significant hardship on the inmate in relation to the ordinary incidents of prison life.” 515 U.S. at 484. In determining whether the government has imposed an “atypical and significant hardship on the inmate in relation to the ordinary incidents of prison life,” as required by Sandin, we consider the conditions of confinement, including both its duration and degree of restrictions, as compared with other inmates. 6 See Perkins v. Kan. Dep’t of Corr., 165 F.3d 803, 809 (10th Cir. 1999). In determining w hether an atypical deprivation occurred, we 6 Another consideration in determining if a liberty interest is created is whether the detention increased the length or duration of the sentence imposed. See generally Wilson v. Jones, 430 F.3d 1113, 1120-21 (10th Cir. 2005), petition for cert. filed, (U.S. Jun. 16, 2006) (No. 05-1618); Gaines v. Stenseng, 292 F.3d 1222, 1225 (10th Cir. 2002) (relying on Sandin, 515 U.S. at 487); Jones v. Baker, 155 F.3d 810, 812 (6th Cir. 1998). However, that issue is not presented here. -23- acknowledge most of our decisions are unpublished, but conclude they lend some persuasive value on material issues not addressed in a published decision and assist in the disposition of the issues in this case. See 10th Cir. R. 36.3(B). W hen considering whether the conditions, duration or restrictions of confinement are atypical as compared with other inmates, this court has inconsistently used comparisons either with inmates in the same segregation or those in the general prison population. See Hill v. Fleming, 2006 W L 856201, at  (10th Cir. Apr. 4, 2006) (unpublished op.) (citations omitted). The Supreme Court has recognized, without deciding the issue, that the circuit courts are split on which baseline comparison to use. See Wilkinson v. Austin, 545 U.S. 209, 125 S. Ct. 2384, 2394 (2005). In this circuit, regardless of which baseline we have utilized, this court “has never held the conditions, duration or restrictions of the detentions presented on appeal created a liberty interest ....” Hill, 2006 W L 856201, at . 7 Similarly, the majority of other circuits have also held no liberty 7 Relying on Thomas v. Gunja, 110 Fed. Appx. 74, 75-76 (10th Cir. Sept. 14, 2004) (unpublished op.) (ruling transfer to a restrictive unit of another prison did not create atypical circumstance for purpose of creating a liberty interest); Weatherall v. Scherbarth, 208 F.3d 228, 2000 WL 223576, at -2 (10th Cir. Feb. 28, 2000) (unpublished op.) (finding no liberty interest in reclassification into administrative segregation); Chappell v. McKune, 201 F.3d 447, 1999 WL 1079618, at  (10th Cir. Nov. 30, 1999) (unpublished op.), aff'g 1999 WL 381802, at  (D. Kan. May 26, 1999) (affirming district court decision on summary judgment which held inmate’s lengthy stay of approximately 1000 days in administrative segregation was not atypical given inmate received all the privileges and incentives commensurate with his same security level); Villarreal v. Harrison, 201 F.3d 449, 1999 WL 1063830, at  & n.1 (10th Cir. Nov. 23, 1999) (unpublished op.) (upholding summary judgment decision explaining two-year duration of -24- interest arose in administrative detentions presented on appeal, 8 while a few others have rendered contrary decisions. 9 Id. at . Admittedly, none of these administrative detention, even with conditions involving restricted telephone privileges and eating alone in cell, did not establish conditions dramatically different from those in the general population); Blum v. Fed. Bureau of Prisons, 189 F.3d 477, 1999 WL 638232, at  (10th Cir. Aug. 23, 1999) (unpublished op.) (considering disciplinary detention and concluding ninety-day confinement without store privileges, radio, and phone calls as enjoyed by other inmates in segregation did not differ in significant degree and duration to create a protected liberty interest); Gutierrez v. Shanks, 153 F.3d 727, 1998 WL 380958, at  (10th Cir. July 9, 1998) (unpublished op.) (instructing in a motion to dismiss case that administrative segregation for over one year was not sufficient to distinguish confinement from that of other inmates for the purpose of creating a liberty interest); Klein v. Coblentz, 132 F.3d 42, 1997 WL 767538, at  (10th Cir. Nov. 19, 1997) (unpublished op.) (deciding 584-day administrative segregation failed to raise due process issue for summary judgment purposes); Jones v. Fields, 104 F.3d 367, 1996 WL 731240, at -2 (10th Cir. Dec. 20, 1996) (unpublished op.) (holding fifteen-month administrative segregation did not impose atypical and significant hardship on inmate for purpose of summary judgment disposition). 8 See, e.g. Jones v. Baker, 155 F.3d at 812-13 (6th Cir.) (upholding administrative segregation over 900 days was not “atypical” under the Due Process Clause, given confinement was not much different than experienced by other inmates in segregation); Beverati v. Smith, 120 F.3d 500, 504 (4th Cir. 1997) (determining six-month placement in administrative segregation was not atypical compared with the general prison population even though officials kept inmates in their cells except for three to four times each week; denied them outside recreation, educational, and religious services; warm or large portions of food, and clean clothing and bedding; and inmates’ cells were infested with vermin, smeared with human feces and urine, flooded with water, and unbearably hot); Griffin v. Vaughn, 112 F.3d 703, 706-09 (3d Cir. 1997) (concluding fifteen-month administrative segregation was within the “expected parameters of the sentence imposed on him,” and that Pennsylvania regulations on such confinement did not deprive him of a liberty interest or entitlement to procedural due process); Pichardo v. Kinker, 73 F.3d 612, 613 (5th Cir. 1996) (concluding inmate’s contention that Texas prison policies on administrative segregation created a protectable liberty interest lacked an arguable basis in law or fact and that “[i]n the wake of Sandin, ... administrative segregation, without more, simply does not constitute a deprivation of a constitutionally cognizable liberty interest”). 9 See, e.g., Colon v. Howard, 215 F.3d 227, 231 (2d Cir. 2000) (stating, without analysis, it was “unaware of any data showing New York frequently removes prisoners from the general population for as long as ... 305 days); Williams v. Fountain, 77 F.3d 372, 374 n.3 (11th Cir. 1996) (merely assuming that inmate suffered liberty interest deprivation based on disciplinary sanction of one year solitary confinement). -25- cases involved a detention lasting almost five years or 1,825 days. Nonetheless, we generally rely on their rudimentary principles and discussion to assist in our analysis of the issues presented in this case. W e commence with the conditions or restrictions which M r. Jordan experienced in administrative detention, beginning with his stay in the administrative maximum facility. As previously mentioned, prison officials provided substantial evidence inmates segregated in administrative maximum confinement experience restrictions and conditions comparable to those of general population inmates, with the exception of one less social call per month and possibly seven hours less recreation time per week, depending on the different recreation classes within the general population. Even if we use the general prison population as a baseline for comparison, these restrictions alone, or when considered together, do not impose an “atypical and significant hardship ... in relation to the ordinary incidents of prison life,” as contemplated by Sandin or our own precedent. Similarly, M r. Jordan has not shown the other nine months he spent in administrative detention at the special housing unit presented an “atypical and significant hardship” with respect to either the general population or those in the same administrative detention. In support of his position, M r. Jordan points to a case in which the Supreme Court granted certiorari review and ultimately determined the government created a liberty interest subject to -26- procedural due process protections w hen officials placed an inmate indefinitely in a super-max prison where almost all human contact was prohibited and which made him ineligible for parole. See Wilkinson, 545 U.S. at ___, 125 S. Ct. at 2393-95. W hile instructive, Wilkinson is not dispositive here, as the conditions of M r. Jordan’s administrative detention were obviously not as onerous, given 1) he admittedly had frequent contact with staff; 2) the length of his sentence was not affected by the administrative detention; and 3) his confinement was not indefinite but instead limited to the duration of the pending murder investigation. W e recognize on certain occasions the conditions or restrictions M r. Jordan experienced did differ from both prison populations, but these differences stemmed from temporary disciplinary measures resulting from M r. Jordan’s numerous infractions while in administrative detention. His attempt to mix these separate disciplinary incidents, which are not part of his Bivens action, into his arguments about the conditions or restrictions of his administrative confinement is unavailing. Based on the circumstances presented, we perceive no constitutional violation occurred with respect to the conditions or restrictions of M r. Jordan’s administrative confinement, and he has otherwise failed to meet his burden of establishing the officials violated a constitutional or statutory right for the purpose of overcoming their defense of qualified immunity. -27- W e next turn to the more egregious claim relating to the lengthy five-year or 1,825-day duration of M r. Jordan’s administrative detention to determine if it posed an atypical or significant hardship in relation to the ordinary incidents of prison life. M r. Jordan claims the duration of his confinement alone created a liberty interest as a matter of law , while the prison officials argue it did not rise to an atypical hardship based on the pending murder investigation and continuing security risk he posed to other inmates and staff before and during that investigation. Clearly, we do not condone a murder investigation which takes almost five years, during which time an inmate is subjected to conditions which are atypical or pose a significant hardship. However, in this case, we have already determined the conditions or restrictions M r. Jordan encountered did not pose the requisite Sandin atypical or significant hardship. Even if we considered the five-year duration of the confinement alone, this court has held certain prison actions which might impinge on an inmate’s constitutional rights may be valid if they are reasonably related to legitimate penological interests. See Frazier v. Dubois, 922 F.2d 560, 562 (10th Cir. 1991). Thus, in terms of administrative detention pending an investigation, we agree with the Sixth Circuit that “[i]t is not ‘atypical’ for a prisoner to be in segregation while his or her participation in violent conduct inside the prison wall is investigated,” and it may be reasonable -28- for prison officials “to make some adjustment in the conditions of ... imprisonment until a full and thorough investigation is completed.” Jones v. Baker, 155 F.3d at 812-13 (holding that while the two and one-half-year duration of administrative confinement was atypical, segregation during investigation was not atypical and was justified pending investigation of prisoner for his participation in prison riot where he was implicated in the killing of a prison guard). See also Skinner v. Cunningham, 430 F.3d 483, 487 (1st Cir. 2005) (concluding, in part, isolation of inmate in segregation was rational based on fact the inmate allegedly killed another inmate, and prison officials were waiting on Attorney General to conduct preliminary inquiry into the murder). W e have also determined that “[t]he due process rights of prisoners are subject to reasonable limitation or restriction in light of the legitimate security concerns of the institution,” and therefore, “‘the transfer of an inmate to less amenable and more restrictive quarters for nonpunitive reasons is well within the terms of confinement ordinarily contemplated by a prison sentence.’” Penrod v. Zavaras, 94 F.3d 1399, 1406 (10th Cir. 1996) (citation omitted). 10 In this case, 10 See also Griffin, 112 F.3d at 705, 708 (determining stay of many months in administrative detention pending investigation into inmate’s alleged rape of female prison guard fell within prison officials’ security risk considerations and was not uncommon); Jones v. Fields, 1996 WL 731240, at  (stating “[a]dministrative segregation due to legitimate concerns about [the inmate’s] escape history and prison security did not impose an atypical and significant hardship ... in relation to the ordinary incidents of prison life”); Duarte v. Henman, 986 F.2d 1427, 1992 WL 403128, at  (10th Cir. Dec. 29, 1992) (unpublished op.) (holding prisoners -29- M r. Jordan’s administrative detention was a result of a justified, ongoing criminal investigation of which prison officials were aware. They were also cognizant of M r. Jordan's significant history of violent and disruptive behavior; his heightened security risk, given he was accused of murder; and his threatening behavior on numerous occasions w hile in the contested administrative detention, including his use of a stainless steel shower panel to threaten staff and his possession of a hidden razor blade in his cell — obviously for means of using it as a weapon. Thus, while his administrative detention was longer than other instances this court has considered and arguably atypical in duration, the fact it was commensurate with ongoing security concerns and a pending investigation, during which time M r. Jordan did not experience atypical conditions or restrictions, provides sufficient extenuating circumstances to convince us no liberty interest was implicated.