Opinion ID: 719341
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Access to Law Library in Segregation

Text: 4 Next, Lacy claims that he was not allowed adequate access to legal materials while in segregation. Prisoners in the segregation unit at Racine do not have access to the prison's main law library. Instead, they may use a satellite law library, which is a rolling cart filled with legal reference materials. Inmates in segregation are allowed a thirty-minute visit to the satellite law library two times per week, and they may review the reference materials, take notes, and request that copies of cases or other legal materials be delivered to their cells. While using the segregation law library, inmates are secured in a waist belt and wrist restraints. Lacy alleges that the wrist restraints make it painful and difficult to retrieve books from the cart and take notes. In contrast, defendant Ronald Molnar (the Programs Captain in charge of the segregation unit) attested that the restraints, though somewhat restrictive, do not hamper range of motion to an extent as to impede the note-taking process or one's ability to retrieve books from the cart shelves. 5 Regardless of whether the system at Racine comports with constitutional requirements, 3 Lacy (as discussed above) has failed to show detriment. However, a showing of detriment is not required if the violation of an inmate's right of access is direct, substantial and continuous rather than ... 'minor and indirect.'  Alston v. DeBruyn, 13 F.3d 1036, 1041 (7th Cir.1994) ( quoting Jenkins v. Lane, 977 F.2d 266, 268 (7th Cir.1992)). A deprivation qualifies as substantial and continuous only if it completely prevents the prisoner, or a person acting in the prisoner's behalf, from performing preliminary legal research.... Our cases waive prejudice for the most egregious legal access claims because a prisoner without any access to materials cannot determine the pleading requirements of his case, including the necessity of pleading prejudice.... [H]owever, ... an inmate with even minimal legal resources could discover the prejudice requirement. Jenkins, 977 F.2d at 269. The system at Racine did not completely deprive Lacy of the ability to conduct preliminary legal research or discover the prejudice requirement. Therefore, because Lacy failed to submit evidence of detriment arising from any deprivation of his right of access, the district court properly granted summary judgment to the defendants. 4