Opinion ID: 3030243
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: analysis

Text: Jurisdiction. The district court in dismissing the complaint did not use the magic words “with prejudice” that proclaim a final judgment, without which we have no appellate jurisdiction. Nonetheless, we construe the court’s action as a final judgment because Butler has no way of curing the defect found by the court: there is no indication he could begin a new administrative process in the prison. Strong v. David, 297 F.3d 646, 648 (7th Cir. 2002). [1] Exhaustion. The PLRA provides: No action shall be brought with respect to prison conditions under section 1983 of this title, or any other Federal law, by a prisoner confined to any jail, prison, or other correctional facility until such administrative remedies as are available are exhausted. 1618 BUTLER v. RIANDA 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). [2] The statute requires the prisoner to use the administrative process that the state provides. Strong, 297 F.3d at 650. In our case, the state provided the form titled “Reasonable Modification Or Accommodation Request.” The form asked Butler to describe his disability, to “describe the problem” and to declare “what specific modification or accommodation is requested.” The form did not require identification of any specific persons. [3] Butler completed the form. Doing so, he availed himself of the administrative process the state gave him. The PLRA does not require more. Completion of the form, followed by Butler taking all the steps of the administrative appeals process, achieved the purposes of the PLRA’s exhaustion requirement as authoritatively set out in Porter v. Nussle, 534 U.S. 516, 524-25 (2002). Compliance with the PLRA was complete. The judgment of the district court is REVERSED and the case is REMANDED.