Carrion v. Wilkinson

309 F. Supp. 2d 1007, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4453, 2004 WL 547568
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedMarch 10, 2004
Docket1:03 CV 107
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 309 F. Supp. 2d 1007 (Carrion v. Wilkinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carrion v. Wilkinson, 309 F. Supp. 2d 1007, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4453, 2004 WL 547568 (N.D. Ohio 2004).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR LIBERAL CONSTRUCTION, GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS, AND DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE AMENDED COMPLAINT

WELLS, District Judge.

Plaintiff Jose Carrion, an inmate at the Richland Correctional Institution (the “Institution”) in Mansfield, Ohio, filed this action pro se against the following officials of the State of Ohio: Reginald Wilkinson, Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction; Brian Cain, a registered nurse and Health Care Administrator at the Institution; Joe Henderson, the Food Service Manager at the Institution; Kenneth Williams, the Institution’s physician; S. Elswick, the Institution’s dietary technician; and Sue Smith, the Standards and Accreditation Manager for the Office of Correctional Health Care in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Among the defendants, Ms. Elswick and Ms. Smith have not been properly served.

Before the Court is defendants Wilkinson, Cain, Henderson, and Williams’ motion to dismiss, to which plaintiff Jose Carrion did not respond. Instead, Mr. Carrion filed a motion for leave to file amended complaint and a motion for liberal construction. (Docket nos. 15, 19 & 23.) For the reasons that follow, plaintiffs motion for liberal construction will be granted, defendants’ motion to dismiss will *1010 be granted, and plaintiffs motion for leave to file amended complaint will be denied.

I. COMPLAINT

Plaintiff, pro so, alleges the following in his Complaint:

Mr. Carrion is a prisoner at the Rich-land Correctional Institution (“the Institution”) in Mansfield, Ohio. He was arrested on or about 25 April 2001 and was incarcerated at the Orient Road Jail Facility in Tampa, Florida. He informed the nurse there that he had “insulin dependent diabetes.” On or about 12 September 2001, he started to experience a severe pain in his shoulders, arms, legs, and feet. Dr. Encarnation, the jail physician, diagnosed him with “neuropathy” and prescribed him “naprosyn,” an “anti-inflammatory medication,” and three insulin dependent diabetic diet meals.

On or about 4 April 2002, Mr. Carrion was transferred to the Richland Institution after several previous transfers. During an “inter-physical examination,” he informed the shift nurse that he was an insulin dependent diabetic patient and that he suffered from “neuropathy.”

On or about 10 July 2002, Mr. Carrion wrote a letter to defendant Brian Cain, the Institution’s Health Care Administrator and a registered nurse. He requested the following information from Mr. Cain: (1) a list of the food that the physician (defendant Kenneth Williams, the Institution’s physician) prohibited him from eating; and (2) names of all the medications he was taking and why he was taking them. (Compl.Ex. A.) Mr. Cain responded that he “should not eat anything from commissary! Minimal amounts of bread, rice, pasta & potatoes; and no real sugar/jelly/syrup!” Mr. Cain also wrote down the names of the medications Mr. Cain was taking and their intended effects. (Compl.Ex. A.)

Some of the food items on the Institution’s menu contained “starch.” On or about 22 July 2002, Mr. Carrion wrote a letter to defendant Joe Henderson, the Institution’s Food Service Manager, requesting a diabetic diet meal. Mr. Henderson replied:

We offer diabetic exchanges on sugar, syrup and diabetic Koolaid. Fresh fruit can be exchanged for cake and pudding. Just ask for it. Your diet is a self-monitored diet so you can make choices on your diet. If you would like to come over and talk to me I would be happy to listen and offer some advise.

(Compl.Ex. C.)

On or about 14 October 2002, Mr. Carrion filed an informal complaint against Mr. Henderson and requested a diabetic diet. Mr. Henderson responded on 16 October 2002 to the complaint:

Line 2 & 4 are the diet lines to get your diabetic supplies & diabetic Koo-laid. Exchanges are for desserts w/ fresh or canned fruits. There are no exchanges for pasta, potatoes or rice. Those items are selfmonitored. If you have problems with a coordinator about fruit exchange, please ask for a manager and get the name of a coordinator so I can do something about it. We have all the supplies that you need.

(Compl.Ex. D.)

On or about 23 October 2002, Mr. Carrion filed a Notification of Grievance with the Institution’s Inspector against Dr. Williams, Mr. Cain and Mr. Henderson. He requested a diabetic diet conforming to the ADA dietary standard and substitutes for bread, pasta and potato. (CompLEx. E.) The following Disposition of Grievance was issued by the Inspector on 13 December 2002:

To investigate your grievance Mr. Cain was interviewed along with Mr. Ridenour, Food Service Supervisor. *1011 Your Informal Complaint Response was also reviewed. During my investigation I found that you saw the diet tech on July 2, 2002, in which she counseled you on the diabetic self-monitoring diet. You are also being seen regularly in the diabetic chronic care clinic, your last visit was November 19, 2002 and your diet was reviewed again at that time. The medical department has rescheduled you to speak with the diet technician. I also reviewed your commissary purchases during the last six months. You have been purchasing Jones Nacho’s, shelled peanuts, Jones Cheese Puffs, Jones Party Mix, cinnamon bagels, mackerel, ramen noodles and mega honey buns. As for [sic] as the meals themselves, Mr. Henderson advised you of the diabetic Kool-Aid and fruit that are supplied, along with the snack bag given to inmates every night....
The Inspector’s office will take no further action at this time.

(Compl.Ex. F.)

On 25 November 2002, Mr. Carrion filed an informal complaint against Dr. Williams and Mr. Cain, claiming that their failure to arrange “insulin dependent diabetic meals” for him denied him proper medical care. Mr. Cain answered the complaint as follows:

There is no such diet as diabetic meals. This is a self-monitoring diet. You were counseled & educated on the proper foods by a diet tech on 7-2-02. You’ve been seen & educated on chronic case clinics. Last visit was 11-19-02. In the last 8 months you have gained 23 lbs. This is contributing to your problem with neuropathy.

(Compl.Ex. G.)

On 12 December 2002 1 , Mr. Carrion appealed the Inspector’s decision to the Chief Inspector. (Compl.Ex. I.) The Chief Inspector affirmed the Inspector’s decision and referred Mr. Carrion’s complaint to the Office of Correctional Healthcare for further review and response. (Compl.Ex. J.)

On 12 December 2002, Mr. Carrion also filed an Inmate Reasonable Accommodation Request with the American with Disabilities Act Coordinator for inmates. He requested “proper insulin dependent diabetic meals.” (Compl.Ex.

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Bluebook (online)
309 F. Supp. 2d 1007, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4453, 2004 WL 547568, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carrion-v-wilkinson-ohnd-2004.