Wilson v. Seiter (1991)
The 1991 Supreme Court decision in Wilson v. Seiter refined the Eighth Amendment standard for evaluating claims of inhumane prison conditions. The Court held that a showing of mere negligence is insufficient; instead, prison officials must exhibit "deliberate indifference" to prevail against such claims. This ruling extended the precedent set by Estelle v. Gamble.
Wilson v. Seiter (1991)
The 1991 Supreme Court case Wilson v. Seiter refined the standard for Eighth Amendment claims regarding prison conditions. The ruling established that demonstrating deliberate indifference, rather than simple negligence, is necessary to prove a violation. This decision built upon the precedent set in Estelle v. Gamble.
The Deliberate Indifference Standard
The 1991 Supreme Court case established a higher bar for proving that prison conditions violate the Eighth Amendment. Instead of simply showing negligence, prisoners must now demonstrate that prison officials acted with "deliberate indifference" to their health or safety. This ruling built upon a previous case, Estelle, by clarifying what constitutes a constitutional violation in this context.
Summary
In 1991, the Supreme Court made a ruling about prisons. They said that if prisoners think their rights are being violated, they have to prove the prison guards knew about the problem and didn't care. It's not enough to just say the guards were careless; they have to show the guards intentionally ignored the problem. This ruling built on an earlier case called Estelle.