Opinion ID: 746506
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Use of Shackles

Text: 18 The practice of using shackles at Maricopa County Jail is in dispute. Sgt. Greening stated in an affidavit, dated June 20, 1995, that cuffing and/or shackling inmates is recommended whenever there are cuffs available. She further remarked that all decisions whether or not to use shackles are left to the discretion of the officers and are made with deference to the security of the prison and not with reference to the nature of the activity requiring inmate movement. However, on September 11, 1995, Sgt. Greening responded to an interrogatory regarding the practice of shackling inmates, to which she stated: 19 It is not a normal practice to shackle inmates during intrafacility movements. Normally an inmate(s) is shackled because the inmate(s) has been disruptive. Inmates are cuffed when enough cuffs are available for the entire group of inmates being escorted. when [sic] there is [sic] not enough cuffs for the entire group, extra officers are needed to secure various posts for the movement. 20 The policy guideline [f]or minimum and medium security inmates, [is that] the application of handcuffs and the use of an escort officer will be discretionary. 21 Although the policy for using shackles is somewhat unclear, the purpose behind using them is not. Sgt. Greening stated that prisoners are shackled because the prison complex has a large yard with a lot of open space between the housing units so cuffs are preferred to keep prisoners in line. The decision to shackle inmates is rationally related to the prison's legitimate penological interest in keeping prisoners in line while in the yard. However, Freeman submitted evidence that only the Muslim prisoners were shackled on their way to religious services. How are prisoners of other minority faiths, such as followers of Judaism or of Native American faiths, moved to and from their religious services? Are they likewise shackled, therefore, supporting defendants' contention that shackles are used in keeping with security concerns when there are enough for the entire inmate group being moved? Or are they merely escorted, therefore bolstering Freeman's claim that Muslim inmates are being treated differently in violation of equal protection? 22 We find that Freeman's evidence of such disparate treatment is sufficient to raise a genuine issue of fact as to whether he was given a reasonable opportunity to pursue his faith as compared to inmates of other faiths.