Case Summary: Rokita v. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
This 2022 Pennsylvania state court case involves an incarcerated individual, Rokita, diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD). The central claim alleges a violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), based on the prison's refusal to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for Rokita's OUD. The court's decision allowed the plaintiff's claims to proceed to further stages of litigation.
Case Summary
A 2022 Pennsylvania case, Rokita v. P.A. Dep't of Corrections, involved an incarcerated individual with opioid use disorder. The plaintiff, Rokita, alleged that the prison's refusal to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) constituted violations of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The court determined that these claims were sufficiently substantiated to proceed to further litigation.
Pennsylvania Prison Case: Medication-Assisted Treatment
A Pennsylvania prison inmate, Rokita, sued the prison in 2022. Rokita, who has an opioid addiction, argued the prison violated his rights by refusing to give him medication to help with his addiction. He claimed this violated both the Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The court decided to hear his case.
Summary
A prisoner in Pennsylvania, named Rokita, who had a problem with opioid addiction, said the prison broke the law by not giving him the medicine he needed to get better. He said this violated his rights under the Eighth Amendment and the ADA. The judge agreed to let his case continue.