Opinion ID: 759767
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: wendell's administrative grievances

Text: 18 The Texas Department of Criminal Justice currently provides a two-step procedure for presenting administrative grievances. Step 1 requires the prisoner to submit an administrative grievance at the institutional level. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Administrative Directive No. AD-03.82 (rev.1), Policy p IV (Jan. 31, 1997). After an investigation, the unit grievance investigator prepares a report and makes a recommendation to the final decision maker for step 1 of the process, which may be the warden, assistant warden, facility administrator, assistant facility administrator, or health administrator. Id. Step 2 permits the prisoner to submit an appeal to the division grievance investigation with the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. After an investigation, the departmental grievance investigator prepares a report and makes a recommendation to the final decision maker for step 2 of the process, which is the director, deputy director, regional director or assistant director. Id. 19 The grievance procedure takes approximately 90 days to exhaust. Prisoners are allowed 15 calendar days to file a step 1 grievance. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Administrative Directive No. AD-03.82 (rev.1), Policy p VI (Jan. 31, 1997). The response to the step 1 grievance is due within forty days after receipt of the grievance. Id. The prisoner then has 10 days to submit an appeal. Id. The response to the step 2 grievance is due within forty days after receipt of the prisoner's appeal. Id. 20 Wendell filed a step 1 grievance raising issues relating to his Eighth Amendment claims on June 17, 1997, the same day that he claims he was beaten by Officer Asher. That grievance was timely denied on June 24, 1997. On June 25, 1997, Wendell appealed that determination, again raising his Eighth Amendment claims that Officer Asher subjected him to excessive force and that certain officials at his unit were deliberately indifferent to his right to be free from excessive force at the hands of prison guards. Two days later, on June 27, 1997, Captain Tarver conducted the disciplinary hearing which serves as the basis for Wendell's Fourteenth Amendment due process claims. Wendell did not file any administrative grievances, either at the institution or with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice specifically relating to those claims. On July 28, 1997, and before the Texas Department of Criminal Justice responded to Wendell's step 2 grievance, Wendell filed this lawsuit. Two days later, on July 30, 1997, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice issued an order stating that Wendell's grievance had been referred to Internal Affairs. The record does not reflect whether any further action was taken with respect to Wendell's step 2 grievance, but the grievance would have been deemed denied as of the fortieth day after it was received by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or no later than August 4, 1997. See Underwood, 151 F.3d at 295, 1998 WL 476217 at  4. 21 From the foregoing facts, it is clear that Wendell filed this suit before exhausting available administrative remedies. With respect to his Eighth Amendment excessive force claims, those claims were not exhausted until several days after Wendell filed suit. With respect to his Fourteenth Amendment due process claims, the record reflects that Wendell has never pursued administrative remedies at all. 22 Wendell has not raised any valid excuse for failing to exhaust available administrative remedies. Although he makes a conclusory allegation that the administrative procedures are inadequate, he does not provide any facts to support that allegation, and it does not appear from the record that any barrier was imposed to Wendell's expedient exhaustion of available remedies with respect to his Eighth Amendment claims. Moreover, we note that the dismissal of Wendell's claims in this case will not cause any injustice or render judicial relief unavailable. Wendell's claims were dismissed without prejudice to refiling. Wendell has now exhausted administrative remedies as to his Eighth Amendment claims. Those claims are governed by Texas' two-year statute of limitations, which will not expire until at least April 1999, two years after the earliest date that Wendell claims he informed the named prison officials he was being threatened with excessive force. Gonzales v. Wyatt, No. 97-41074, 157 F.3d 1016, 1998 WL 698866 (5th Cir. Oct. 23, 1998). 1 Wendell may pursue those claims in federal court immediately. Wendell has not pursued administrative remedies with respect to his Fourteenth Amendment claims. Those remedies may be exhausted, however, within 90 days after the issuance of this opinion. Wendell's due process claims are also governed by Texas' two-year statute of limitations period, which will not expire until at least June 1999, two years after the challenged disciplinary hearing. Pete v. Metcalfe, 8 F.3d 214 (5th Cir.1993). Provided Wendell acts promptly, we conclude that there are no apparent barriers to the refiling of this action in federal district court once he exhausts his administrative remedies as required by § 1997e. Given the statutory mandate of § 1997e, we must affirm the district court's dismissal of Wendell's claims for failure to exhaust administrative remedies prior to filing suit as required by 42 U.S.C.A. § 1997e. 2 23