Holt v. Sarver
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Summary

This Eighth Circuit case held Arkansas’s prisons violated the Eighth Amendment due to inadequate medical care, no meaningful rehab, and other abuses—applying a totality test for cruel and unusual punishment.

1971 | Federal Juristiction

Holt v. Sarver

Keywords Eighth Amendment; prisons; medical care; rehab; cruel and unusual punishment; totality test
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Summary

A ruling by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that correctional facilities in Arkansas were in violation of the Eighth Amendment. This judgment was based on an assessment that identified inadequate medical care, the absence of meaningful rehabilitation programs, and other systemic abuses within the state's prison system. The court applied a totality-of-the-circumstances test to evaluate the presence of cruel and unusual punishment.

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Summary

A case heard in the Eighth Circuit Court determined that Arkansas's prison system was violating the Eighth Amendment. This ruling was based on several factors, including the provision of inadequate medical care, the absence of meaningful rehabilitation programs, and other forms of abuse. The court applied a totality test, which considers all conditions as a whole, to conclude that cruel and unusual punishment was taking place.

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Summary

A case from the Eighth Circuit Court determined that prisons in Arkansas were violating the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This finding was based on several issues, including inadequate medical services, a lack of effective rehabilitation programs, and other forms of mistreatment within the prisons. The court made its decision by applying a "totality test," which means it examined all the problems collectively to decide if the conditions met the definition of cruel and unusual punishment.

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Summary

A court case looked at prisons in Arkansas. The court found that these prisons were not treating prisoners fairly. This went against a rule in the U.S. Constitution about how people should be treated in prison. The problems included poor medical care, no real programs to help prisoners, and other bad actions. The court considered all these issues together. It decided that the way prisoners were treated was cruel.

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Footnotes and Citation

Cite

442 F.2d 304 (1971)

Highlights