Opinion ID: 164328
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dangerous Conditions of Confinement

Text: With respect to Mr. Dittmeyer’s confinement, the district court concluded Sheriff Whetsel knew dangerous conditions prevailed at the facility. Even if such conditions did exist, we note Mr. Dittmeyer has not shown how the injuries he sustained in an altercation while waiting for the public phone are in anyway related to those conditions, which the district court found included inadequate sight checks, unsecured cell doors, 3 razors left in cells, or understaffed facilities. Mr. Dittmeyer has not shown that either Sheriff Whetsel or Deputy Deer drew an inference between such unsafe conditions and his assault at the pay phone, which would lead them to anticipate the assault or an unsafe condition. The only possible scenario providing an unsafe condition related to the altercation might be prevalent understaffing of the facility. However, Mr. Dittmeyer acknowledged that, at the time of the assault, a detention officer was on duty, although he did not see the assault and Mr. Dittmeyer did not report it to him. Thus, Mr. Dittmeyer has not shown how understaffing caused the injuries he received, nor that either Sheriff Whetsel or Deputy Deer drew an inference between understaffing of the facility and Mr. Dittmeyer’s subsequent assault and injury while at the pay phone where an officer was on duty. For these reasons, the district court properly 3 A review of the record establishes Sheriff Whetsel in fact took measures, prior to the altercation at issue, to fix the locks on unsecured cell doors. -17- granted summary judgment in favor of these officials on the issue of dangerous conditions of confinement.