Opinion ID: 539921
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Establish Policy Regarding the Confiscation of

Text: Medical Supplies and Equipment 60 The absence of medical records was not the sole cause of Wood's injuries; the confiscation of his sling was also a substantial, and indeed seminal, cause of his subsequent pain and suffering. Wood contends that Housewright and Sumner must also bear responsibility for this instance of deliberate indifference. For many of the same reasons as those expressed above, I agree. 61 As explained earlier, official interference with prescribed medical treatment, in the absence of strong justification, constitutes deliberate indifference. It would make little sense to hold that sections 209.131 and 209.161 impose a duty to facilitate medical treatment while holding at the same time that those sections impose no duty to proscribe official interference with such treatment. Since there is every reason to expect that some prisoners will arrive at the prison with canes, crutches, slings, or medications, it seems evident that some policies and procedures regulating the possession and use of those items are necessary. Any such policies and procedures, of course, must ensure that prisoners are not wrongfully deprived of necessary medical supplies or equipment upon their arrival. For the reasons explained earlier, Housewright and Sumner were responsible for establishing and enforcing such policies and procedures. The failure to discharge this responsibility, where it leads to constitutional injury as it did here, is sufficient to support liability under section 1983. 62 The question again becomes whether Housewright and Sumner properly discharged their duty. Again, I believe the evidence suggests that they did not. Officer Christy testified that confiscation was left to the discretion of the sergeant or whoever was in charge that day. Furthermore, Sumner testified, in response to questioning by Wood, that there were no procedures governing the confiscation of medically necessary equipment when inmates were received into the prison. Cf. Nev.Rev.Stat. Sec. 209.131(3) (requiring the Director to receive [offenders] according to law). Although Sumner also testified that it was against NSP policy to confiscate medically necessary equipment, nothing in the record contradicted Officer Christy's testimony that the determination of medical necessity was left not to medical personnel, but rather to the sergeant or whoever was in charge that day. Nothing in the record suggests that this person was required, encouraged, or even permitted to refer inmates with claims of medical necessity to trained medical personnel. Again, the district court made no findings on this issue because the court simply failed to recognize or identify the specific duties comprised by the broad language of sections 209.131 and 209.161. This essentially factual issue is one for the district court to determine, at least in the first instance. 63 If Housewright's and Sumner's general policies regarding admission, by their silence or otherwise, permitted nonmedical personnel to confiscate medical equipment without obtaining any medical advice, then I submit that Housewright and Sumner must bear full responsibility for the entirely foreseeable confiscations that were virtually certain to occur. When those confiscations rise to the level of deliberate indifference, as did the one at issue here, then Housewright and Sumner must be held liable for their omissions under section 1983. However, for the same reasons as those I expressed in Part II.A, supra, I would remand to the district court for an initial determination of the constitutional soundness of admission procedures at NSP.