Brakeall v. Stanwick-Klemik

CourtDistrict Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedDecember 8, 2017
Docket4:17-cv-04101
StatusUnknown

This text of Brakeall v. Stanwick-Klemik (Brakeall v. Stanwick-Klemik) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brakeall v. Stanwick-Klemik, (D.S.D. 2017).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DEC 08 2017 DISTRICT OF SOUTH DAKOTA RQ SOUTHERN DIVISION

WINSTON GREY BRAKEALL, 4:17-CV-04101-LLP Plaintiff, VS. ORDER DISMISSING COMPLAINT IN PART AND DIRECTING SERVICE JENIFER STANWICK-KLEMIK, IN PART Associate Warden, individually and_ official capacity; JOSH KLIMEK, West Crawford Unit Manager, individually and official capacity; DENNIS KAEMINGK, Secretary of Corrections, individually and official capacity; ROBERT DOOLEY, Director of Prison Operations and Warden, individually and official capacity; KELLY TJEERDSMA, Corporal, individually and official capacity; NICOLE ST. PIERRE, Chapel Activities Coordinator, individually and official capacity; TAMMY MERTENS-JONES, Chapel Activities Coordinator, individually and official capacity; ANNIE ANTROBUS, CBM Food Services Manager, individually and official capacity; UNKNOWN CBM FOOD SERVICES STAFF, individually and official capacity; UNKNOWN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS STAFF MEMBERS, individually and official capacity; UNKNOWN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EMPLOYEES, individually and official capacity; SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS,

SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, Defendants.

Plaintiff, Winston Grey Brakeall, is an inmate at Mike Durfee State Prison (MDSP) in Springfield, South Dakota. Brakeall filed a pro se civil rights lawsuit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Brakeall was granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis. Docket 6. The Court has “screened” this case pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1915A. For the following reasons, the court dismisses Brakeall’s complaint in part and directs service in part. FACTS Brakeall alleges several violations of his civil rights occurring at MDSP. In part, Brakeall’s claims concern his large size and the prison’s failure to accommodate his size. Brakeall also makes claims concerning his ability to practice his religion and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The facts as alleged in the complaint are: Cruel and Unusual Punishment Brakeall stands 6’ 9” tall. Id. § 18. He has a body mass index of 37.5 and is morbidly obese. /d. Brakeall requires modifications to his bed to lie flat. Jd. § 19. In 1997, Brakeall was imprisoned at the South Dakota State Penitentiary (SDSP). /d. At that time, the Department of Corrections (DOC) extended a bed for Brakeall and issued him an extra mattress, blankets, and pillows. /d. § 19. In 2000, Brakeall was transferred to East Hall in SDSP where a second, customized bed was made for him. /d. § 20. Brakeall was again issued additional mattresses and bedding. /d. In 2005, Brakeall was transferred to the Jameson Prison Annex. /d. § 21. The staff was alerted to Brakeall’s size and they prepared a medical bed with a one foot mattress extension. Jd.

In November 2014, Brakeall returned to the Jameson Prison Annex on an alleged parole violation. /d. §] 22. Brakeall informed staff that he was too tall to sleep in the cells because the bunks are built across the 6’ 5” width of the cell. /d. Staff assigned Brakeall the top bunk, which is approximately six feet off the ground. Brakeall was unable to climb into his assigned bed and slept on the floor for six weeks. /d. § 24. Staff witnessed Brakeall duck when going through doorways. /d. § 23. The Jameson Annex staff claimed to have no record of Brakeall’s height, weight or past accommodations. /d. In December of 2014, Brakeall was transferred to the East Hall at the SDSP. /d. 4 24. East Hall staff also claimed to have no record of Brakeall’s height, weight or past accommodations. /d. §] 25. East Hall also claimed they did not have any orders to keep Brakeall on the first floor, to assign him the bottom bunk, or provide him extra bedding. /d. § 25. Several days later, Brakeall was transferred to the West Hall housing unit after being assaulted. /d. 4 26. In West Hall, Brakeall was assigned the middle bunk of a triple stack. /d. The top bunk was approximately twenty inches away from the middle bunk. /d. Brakeall regularly bumped his head and shoulders on the upper bunk. /d. Brakeall’s parole was reinstated and he was transferred to the Community Transition Program (CTP) at Unit C. /d. § 27. Brakeall was initially assigned the top bunk of a triple stack, but he was allowed to move to a middle bunk and was given additional bedding as a temporary extension. /d. In December 2015, Brakeall was detained and placed in East Hall with no height accommodations. /d. § 28. In February of 2016, Brakeall was transferred to West Hall after a second and third assault. /d. In West Hall, Unit Manager Keith Ditmanson provided Brakeall with an extra mattress. /d.

In January of 2016, Brakeall violated his parole and was transferred to MDSP. Jd. 4 29. At MDSP, he was assigned to the West Crawford housing unit and Unit Coordinator Britney Ulmer told Brakeall his bed would be modified once he was transferred to a “permanent” room. Id. In October of 2016, Brakeall was assigned the bottom bunk in room 118. /d. § 31. The bottom bunk is approximately five inches off the floor. /d. Nine months passed without any modifications to the bed. /d. 4] 32. Without modifications, Brakeall “is forced to sleep with his feet pushed through the cross bars at the bottom.” /d. Additionally, Brakeall’s weight causes persistent hip and back pain, which can be accommodated with a second mattress. /d. The bed’s close proximity to the floor causes Brakeall constant knee and back pain. /d. § 107. Brakeall spoke to Unit Manager Josh Klimek about the modifications and an extension. Id. § 33. Klimek repeatedly replied that “he’s ‘looking into it.’ ” Jd. § 33. Brakeall also kited Klimek several times but received no response. /d 34. Brakeall filed a grievance but received no response, /d. 4] 35. Brakeall signed up to see Klimek during ‘* ‘open door’ periods at least fifty times in a past months and the only time he has seen Mr. Klimek was in passing at his desk.” /d. 36. Kaemingk, Dooley, and Stanwick-Klemik supervise Josh Klimek. /d. §] 107. Overcrowding and Excessive Heat The MDSP is a former college designed and built in the 1950-60s. /d. 4 49. Brakeall wrote to the Bon Homme County zoning and planning for specific design capacity information but received no response. /d. at fn. 1. The rooms were originally designed to accommodate two people. /d. Despite subsequent remodels, “the fundamental two person structure remains.” Jd. 4 50. For example, “There are two desks, two closets, two sets of storage drawers, one window, [and] one fan.” /d. Three inmates are housed in the rooms and are expected to divide the use of

space themselves. /d. §| 51. In some areas, the DOC also destroyed walls creating nine-man rooms, which causes trouble and friction between inmates. /d. § 52. Kaemingk, Dooley, and DOC established these policies and practices at MDSP. /d. at 4 110. West Crawford is a three-story building where each floor has three shower heads, three toilets, three partition-less urinals, and five sinks. /d. § 53. There are approximately 70 inmates per floor. /d. “The shower heads are arranged so that two shower heads share the same floor space. /d. If the plaintiff is using the shower head on the east wall, the shower head on the south wall sprays his thighs. Functionally, there are only two shower heads on each floor.” /d. There are daily lines to use facilities. Jd. | 54. The restrooms are cleaned once per day but it is insufficient given the volume of use. /d. Furthermore, rules prohibit using the facilities on a different floor. /d. On the first floor of West Crawford, the inmate changing area was converted into a handicap shower. When the handicap shower is occupied, the wheelchair blocks the door to the main shower room. /d. §] 55.

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