Dist. Ct. did not err in granting defendants-correctional officers’ motion for summary judgment in plaintiff-prisoner’s section 1983 action alleging that defendants violated his 8th Amendment rights by failing to protect him from attack by violent prisoner. While record showed that plaintiff’s attacker was prone to violence within prison, and that defendants had taken steps to protect other prisoners from said attacker, plaintiff could not prevail in instant action, since: (1) defendants were, at best, negligent in isolating attacker from plaintiff and others; and (2) just prior to instant incident, attacker appeared to be following defendants’ directives. Also, defendants acted reasonably to stop attacker once they had become aware of his assault on plaintiff.
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Prisoners