Court Opinion

ID: 9905905
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-30 16:12:32.632062+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:58.204467
License: Public Domain

IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Niheem Keys,                                 :
                      Petitioner             :
                                             :
               v.                            :       No. 556 M.D. 2022
                                             :       Submitted: October 10, 2023
Pennsylvania Department                      :
of Corrections,                              :
                 Respondent                  :

BEFORE:        HONORABLE ANNE E. COVEY, Judge
               HONORABLE LORI A. DUMAS, Judge
               HONORABLE MARY HANNAH LEAVITT, Senior Judge

OPINION NOT REPORTED

MEMORANDUM OPINION
BY SENIOR JUDGE LEAVITT                                     FILED: November 30, 2023

               Niheem Keys, pro se, has filed a petition for review1 in the Court’s
original jurisdiction against the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
(Department) seeking readmission to the State Drug Treatment Program (Drug
Program), a component of “Justice Reinvestment Initiative 2,” 61 Pa. C.S. §§4101-
4108.2 In this petition, Keys contends that his expulsion from the Drug Program and
return to a State Correctional Institution to serve the remainder of his original

1
  Keys’ pleading is titled a “Motion for a Preliminary Injunction.” By order issued January 4,
2023, the Court stated that this filing will be treated as a petition for review addressed to our
original jurisdiction pursuant to Section 761 of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa. C.S. §761, and PA.R.A.P.
1502.
2
  The Drug Program is a 24-month intensive treatment program for statutorily eligible inmates
who have been convicted of substance use-related crimes, who meet certain eligibility standards
in 61 Pa. C.S. §4104 (selection for the State Drug Treatment Program). Upon successful
completion of the Program, the inmate’s entire term of confinement will be deemed to have been
served. 61 Pa. C.S. §4105(b)(5).
sentence violated the Eighth3 and Fourteenth4 Amendments to the United States
Constitution because it will be “years before he sees release” and because a similarly
situated inmate was reentered into the Drug Program. Petition ¶11. Before the Court
are the Department’s preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer to Keys’
petition. For the reasons set forth below, we sustain the Department’s preliminary
objections and dismiss Keys’ petition for review with prejudice.
               The facts as alleged in the petition are as follows.5 Keys is an inmate
currently incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Houtzdale. Petition ¶1.
He was a participant in the Drug Program at Quehanna Boot Camp. On May 26,
2022, Keys was expelled from the Program because of an altercation with another
inmate.     During that altercation, Keys attempted to hit the inmate with “a
combination lock and extension cord,” and after being separated, Keys “started to
fight” the inmate again. Id., Exhibit A-1 (Executive Deputy Secretary Review
Response). Keys pled guilty to institutional misconduct charges of fighting, refusing
to obey an order, and possession of a weapon. Id. The Department informed Keys
that these behaviors demonstrated a lack of meaningful participation in the Drug
Program. Id.
               Keys challenged his expulsion from the Drug Program through the
Department’s inmate grievance system. Petition ¶4. The Department denied the
grievance, and Keys was not reenrolled in the Drug Program. However, the other

3
  U.S. CONST. amend. VIII.
4
  U.S. CONST. amend. XIV.
5
  Keys attached the following documents as exhibits to the petition:
        Exhibit A-1 – Grievance No. 993823
        Exhibit B-1 – Expulsion Notification
        Exhibit C-1 – Inmate Notification of PREA Investigation.
                                                2
inmate involved in the altercation, who also received a misconduct and was removed
from the Program, was subsequently readmitted into the Program. Id. ¶8.
             Keys contends that the Department violated his right to equal protection
by not readmitting him to the Drug Program, as it did for the other inmate in the
altercation. Keys also contends that his removal from the Drug Program constituted
cruel and unusual punishment because now he must serve the remainder of his
original sentence, instead of completing his sentence in 24 months by participation
in the Drug Program. Keys requests the Court to order the Department to reenroll
him in the Drug Program.
             The Department has filed preliminary objections in the nature of a
demurrer to the petition. First, the Department argues that it cannot be sued under
Section 1983 of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §1983, because it
is a state agency, and a state agency is not a “person” within the meaning of Section
1983. Second, the Department argues that Keys’ petition does not state a claim
under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution for his removal from
the Drug Program. Third, the Department argues that the petition’s claim that Keys
was treated differently than the other inmate involved in the altercation does not state
an equal protection claim.
             “The question presented in a demurrer is whether, on the facts averred,
the law indicates with certainty that no recovery is possible.” Stilp v. General
Assembly, 974 A.2d 491, 494 (Pa. 2009). In ruling on preliminary objections in the
nature of a demurrer, this Court must consider as true all well-pleaded material facts
set forth in the petition and all reasonable inferences that may be drawn from those
facts. Torres v. Beard, 997 A.2d 1242, 1245 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2010). We “need not
accept as true conclusions of law, unwarranted inferences from facts, argumentative

                                           3
allegations, or expressions of opinion.” Id. To sustain preliminary objections, “it
must appear with certainty that the law will not permit recovery, and any doubt
should be resolved by a refusal to sustain them.” Id.
               “When ruling on a demurrer, a court must confine its analysis to the
[petition for review].” Id. “Thus, the court may determine only whether, on the
basis of the [petitioner’s] allegations, he or she possesses a cause of action
recognized at law.” Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5 by McNesby v. City of
Philadelphia, 267 A.3d 531, 541 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2021). “[D]ocuments attached as
exhibits [and] documents referenced in the [petition for review] . . . may also be
considered.” Id. at 542.
               The Department first contends it cannot be sued under Section 1983,
which provides, in relevant part, as follows:
               Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance,
               regulation, custom, or usage, of any State . . . subjects, or causes
               to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person
               within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights,
               privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws,
               shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in
               equity, or other proper proceeding for redress[.]

42 U.S.C. §1983. Section 1983 claims may be brought in the courts of this
Commonwealth and are not subject to state sovereign immunity defenses. Watkins
v. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, 196 A.3d 272, 274 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2018).
               Although Keys has raised federal constitutional claims, his pleading
does not mention Section 1983. To the extent the petition for review seeks redress
under Section 1983, we agree that this cannot be done. The Department is not a
“person” within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. §1983.6                    Warren v. Pennsylvania

6
 In his response to the Department’s preliminary objections, Keys indicates that he also filed his
petition pursuant to Section 763 of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa. C.S. §763 (direct appeals from
                                                4
Department of Corrections, 616 A.2d 140, 142 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1992) (holding
Department is not subject to suit under 42 U.S.C. §1983).
              Next, the Department contends that Keys has failed to state a claim
under the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution. It reasons that Keys’
return to a state correctional institution to serve the remainder of his original sentence
does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
              The Eighth Amendment provides: “Excessive bail shall not be required,
nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” U.S.
CONST. amend. VIII. This amendment is “intended to protect and safeguard a prison
inmate from an environment where degeneration is probable and self-improvement
unlikely because of the conditions existing which inflict needless suffering, whether
physical or mental.” Frankenberry v. Ferguson (Pa. Cmwlth., No. 105 C.D. 2017,
filed July 12, 2017) (unreported),7 slip op. at 9 (quoting Battle v. Anderson, 564 F.2d
388, 393 (10th Cir. 1977)). An Eighth Amendment violation can be asserted where
an inmate is deprived of “‘the minimal civilized measure of life’s necessities.’”
Lopez v. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, 119 A.3d 1081, 1090 (Pa.
Cmwlth. 2015) (quoting Tillery v. Owens, 907 F.2d 418, 426 (3d Cir. 1990)). A
violation requires proof that the “‘deprivation suffered was sufficiently serious, and
that a prison official acted with deliberate indifference in subjecting him to that

government agencies). “Inmate misconducts are a matter of internal prison management and, thus,
do not constitute adjudications subject to appellate review.” Hill v. Department of Corrections,
64 A.3d 1159, 1167 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2013). Consequently, our Court lacks appellate jurisdiction to
review the merits of the Department’s decision on inmate discipline, including his removal from
the Drug Program.
7
  An unreported panel decision of this Court, “issued after January 15, 2008,” may be cited “for
its persuasive value[.]” Section 414(a) of the Commonwealth Court’s Internal Operating
Procedures, 210 Pa. Code §69.414(a).
                                               5
deprivation.’”8 Lopez, 119 A.3d at 1091 (quoting Griffin v. Vaughn, 112 F.3d 703,
709 (3d Cir. 1997)). Prison conditions may be “restrictive and even harsh” without
violating the Eighth Amendment. Neely v. Department of Corrections, 838 A.2d 16,
20 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2003).
              Keys’ petition does not allege a deprivation of life’s minimal
necessities in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Rather, the petition asserts that
serving his court-ordered sentence will “prolong[ his] imprisonment.” Petition ¶11.
The petition also posits that Keys “will most likely get a parole hit extending his
imprisonment to years before he sees release.” Id.

8
  In Neely v. Department of Corrections, 838 A.2d 16, 20 n.6 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2003) (internal
quotations omitted), we noted:
       To succeed, a claim that prison conditions violate the Eighth Amendment must
       satisfy both an objective and subjective requirement-the conditions must be
       “sufficiently serious” from an objective point of view, meaning that they involve
       denial of the minimum civilized measure of life’s necessities, and the plaintiff must
       demonstrate that prison officials acted subjectively with “deliberate indifference.”
       Deliberate indifference exists if an official “knows of and disregards an excessive
       risk to inmate health or safety; the official must both be aware of facts from which
       the inference could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm exists, and he
       must also draw the inference.”
                Further, the Supreme Court has explained that “[n]o static ‘test’ can exist
                by which courts determine whether conditions of confinement are cruel and
                unusual, for the Eighth Amendment ‘must draw its meaning from the
                evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing
                society.’”
                Nonetheless, the [United States] Supreme Court has established that prison
                “[c]onditions must not involve the wanton and unnecessary infliction of
                pain, nor may they be grossly disproportionate to the severity of the crime
                warranting imprisonment.” Conditions that “deprive inmates of the
                minimal civilized measure of life’s necessities” may also constitute cruel
                and unusual punishment.
                                             6
              An individual does not have a legally enforceable right to participate
in, or enjoy the benefits of, the Drug Program. 61 Pa. C.S. §4108(1)(iv).9 Likewise,
parole is not a right, but a matter of grace. The fact that Keys may be denied parole
in the future does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment. See generally Myers
v. Ridge, 712 A.2d 791, 795 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1998). Accordingly, we sustain the
Department’s preliminary objection to the petition’s Eighth Amendment claim.
              The Department next argues that Keys’ petition does not state an equal
protection claim because it does not plead facts to show that the two inmates
involved in the altercation were similarly situated.
              The Equal Protection Clause provides: “No State shall ... deny to any
person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” U.S. CONST. amend.
XIV, §1. “The ‘class of one’ theory of equal protection provides that a [petitioner]
states a claim for violation of the Equal Protection Clause when he ‘alleges that he
has been intentionally treated differently from others similarly situated and that there
is no rational basis for the difference in treatment.’” Rivera v. Silbaugh, 240 A.3d
229, 241-42 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2020) (quoting Hill v. Borough of Kutztown, 455 F.2d
225, 239 (3d Cir. 2006)). To state an equal protection claim, “a [petitioner] must
allege that he is receiving different treatment from that received by other similarly
situated individuals.” Myers, 712 A.2d at 799. “A [petitioner] must show intentional
discrimination because of the membership in a particular class, not merely that he

9
 It states that an individual is prohibited from filing
        any cause of action in any court challenging the department’s determination that a
        participant is to be suspended or expelled from or that a participant has successfully
        completed or failed to successfully complete treatment to be provided during any
        portion of a drug offender treatment program.
61 Pa. C.S. §4108(1)(iv) (emphasis added). Participation in the Drug Program is completely
discretionary with the Department.
                                              7
was treated unfairly as an individual.” Id. “Conclusory contentions of constitutional
violations without factual support do not establish a constitutional deprivation
sufficient to withstand a demurrer.” Id.
              Decisions to allow an inmate to participate in the Drug Program are
individualized and discretionary. 61 Pa. C.S. §4104(c).10 For that reason, it is
difficult to see how any two inmates may be regarded as similarly situated for the
purposes of equal protection analysis. Additionally, Exhibit A-1 attached to Keys’
petition explains that Keys used a weapon (combination lock and extension cord) to
assault the inmate during the altercation and, then, disobeyed several orders to stop
fighting. Keys’ petition does not allege that the other inmate used a weapon or
disobeyed orders to stop fighting, and the grievance documents do not so indicate.
Nor does Keys’ petition contain any allegations about the other inmate’s sentence or
progress in the Drug Program.              Accordingly, we sustain the Department’s
preliminary objection to Keys’ equal protection claim.
              Because there is no right to participate in the Drug Program or to parole,
we conclude that an amended pleading will not satisfy the basic elements of either
an Eighth Amendment or a Fourteenth Amendment equal protection claim.
Accordingly, we sustain the Department’s preliminary objections in the nature of a
demurrer and dismiss Keys’ petition for review with prejudice.
                               _________________________________________________________
                               MARY HANNAH LEAVITT, President Judge Emerita

10
  It states:
        If the department in its discretion believes an eligible person would benefit from
        the State drug treatment program and placement in the program is appropriate, the
        department shall make the placement and notify the court, the eligible person, the
        commission and the attorney for the Commonwealth of the placement.
61 Pa. C.S. §4104(c) (emphasis added).
                                                8
         IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Niheem Keys,                        :
                  Petitioner        :
                                    :
            v.                      :      No. 556 M.D. 2022
                                    :
Pennsylvania Department             :
of Corrections,                     :
                 Respondent         :

                                   ORDER

            AND NOW, this 30th day of November, 2023, the preliminary
objections in the nature of a demurrer filed by the Pennsylvania Department of
Corrections are SUSTAINED. The petition for review filed by Niheem Keys is
DISMISSED with prejudice.

                         _________________________________________________________
                          MARY HANNAH LEAVITT, President Judge Emerita