Opinion ID: 516452
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Working conditions alone

Text: 42 The magistrate never addressed whether the working conditions per se violated the Eighth Amendment, although Jackson's complaint, construed liberally, claims they did. We have found, that in certain circumstances, prison work conditions may amount to cruel and unusual punishment. See Howard v. King, 707 F.2d 215, 219-20 (5th Cir.1983). In Howard, we wrote that in claiming that their 56 hour, 7 day work week in field labor caused perpetual exhaustion and physical breakdown, the inmates have alleged physical and mental suffering which, if actually caused by the discipline to which they claim to have been subjected and to the extent that they allege, would entitle them to relief. Id. at 220. 43 This Court employs a totality of conditions test for analyzing Eighth Amendment claims. Howard, 707 F.2d at 219; Ruiz v. Estelle, 679 F.2d 1115, 1139 (5th Cir.) amended in part and vacated in part, on other grounds, 688 F.2d 266 (5th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 460 U.S. 1042, 103 S.Ct. 1438, 75 L.Ed.2d 795 (1983). An individual judge must avoid employing a subjective view of what is cruel and unusual punishment. Instead, objective factors should be utilized to the maximum possible extent. Rhodes v. Chapman, 452 U.S. 337, 345, 101 S.Ct. 2392, 2398, 69 L.Ed.2d 59 (1981); Ruiz, 679 F.2d at 1138. The Supreme Court has cautioned against finding Eighth Amendment violations too readily, because once a given condition is found to violate it, it cannot be reviewed in the light of further experience short of reversal or a constitutional amendment. Rhodes, 452 U.S. at 351, 101 S.Ct. at 2401. 44 There is no indication here that Jackson was not afforded sufficient rest (unlike the prisoners in Howard ) or that he was required to perform labors beyond the ordinary prisoner's strength (although he does allege, but without material details, that he was made to do more and harder work than other members of the crew). Working in heavy corn dust without a mask could conceivably have been work so deleterious to health that the totality of circumstances violates contemporary standards of decency, the standard outlined in Rhodes. Rhodes, 452 U.S. at 346-47, 101 S.Ct. at 2399. We have held, however, that in the absence of a clearly established law, prison officials cannot be held to a higher standard of care than the surrounding community when providing for the safety of prisoners. Sampson v. King, 693 F.2d 566, 569 (5th Cir.1982). In Sampson, a prisoner complained of being forced to work in fields recently sprayed with a pesticide, Parathion. We held this allegation did not rise to an Eighth Amendment violation because there was no showing that the practice differed from that of the surrounding agricultural community or violated a clearly established law. 45 The only factor which distinguishes the working conditions complained of here from those in Sampson are the alleged agent of harm--corn dust instead of Parathion. Of critical importance is the fact that Jackson was part of a regular work crew, and his claim of harsher treatment than other members of the crew is a bare allegation without any factual support. Although the injuries of which Jackson complains are more serious than Sampson's, the same ruling is appropriate to both cases. The working conditions, in and of themselves, did not violate the Eighth Amendment.