Opinion ID: 2628010
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Rathke raised colorable constitutional claims against CCA and its employees.

Text: We have previously affirmed the right of a prison inmate to sue the state and state prison officials for violations of the inmate's constitutional rights. In Ferguson v. State, Dep't of Corrections, [15] we held that prison officials violated an inmate's right to due process when they expelled him from a rehabilitation program without a disciplinary hearing and based on a single unconfirmed urinalysis. [16] We held that Alaska prisoners have an enforceable interest in rehabilitation under the Alaska Constitution, article 1, section 12, [17] of which they may not be deprived without due process of law. [18] Additionally, in Smith v. Cleary, [19] we affirmed the right of Alaska inmates housed by CCA in Arizona to enforce the Cleary FSA. [20] We therefore hold that Rathke is entitled to bring constitutional claims against CCA and its named employees. [21]