Jackson v. Illinois Prisoner Review Board

657 F. Supp. 823, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2311
District Court, N.D. Illinois·Decided March 19, 1987·No. No. 85 C 4545·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

SHADUR, District Judge.

William Jackson (“Jackson”) initially sued the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and its individual members (collectively (“Board”) under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (“Section 1983”), asserting their violation of:

1. the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process of law guaranty and

2. the prohibition against ex post facto laws (U.S. Const. Art. I, sec. 10, cl. 1),

both those claims arising out of Board’s May 1984 denial of Jackson’s parole. This Court’s March 14, 1986 memorandum opinion and order (the “Opinion,” 631 F.Supp. 150) granted Board’s motion to dismiss Jackson’s second claim but denied the motion as to the first claim.

Now Jackson and Board have filed cross-motions for summary judgment under Fed.R.Civ.P. (“Rule”) 56 as to that remaining claim (the “1984 Due Process [825]*825Claim”). Then on November 26, 1986 (after those motions had been fully briefed)1 Jackson filed a Third Amended Complaint (the “Complaint”), reasserting the original 1984 Due Process Claim and adding a like claim based on Board’s May 1986 denial of Jackson’s parole (the “1986 Due Process Claim”). On both claims, Jackson asks for declaratory relief plus an award of attorney’s fees and costs.2 For the reasons stated in this memorandum opinion and order, each party’s motion is granted in part and denied in part.

Facts3

On December 16, 1977 a Cook County Circuit Court judge sentenced Jackson to 40 to 120 years in prison based on his conviction for murder (¶ 4). Jackson is now an inmate at Stateville Correctional Center (“Stateville”) (¶ 2).

On May 2, 1984 Jackson appeared before a three-member Board for a parole hearing (PSF 111). At that time Illinois Prisoner Review Board Rule IV-C (“Rule IV-C”) provided (Jackson R.Mem.Ex. A, at 152):

A parole candidate shall have access to all documents which the Board shall con-side- in denying parole or setting a release date. If such documents have not been disclosed to the candidate before the interview, they shall be disclosed to him during the interview. If, in light of the documents, the candidate so desires, he shall be granted a 30-day continuance.

Board’s official file concerning Jackson and matters relating to his potential parole (“parole file”) (PSF 11 2) included two psychological reports (Jackson R.Mem.Ex. D). Jackson did not ask to see, and Board did not provide to Jackson, that parole file before or during the May 2, 1984 hearing (PSF 11113 and 4). Board’s panel offered to show Jackson only a letter of protest from the State’s Attorney’s office and letters of support for his parole (PSF II 5). Then, acting under Ill.Rev.Stat. ch. 38, ¶ 1003-3-2, Board’s panel deferred Jackson’s parole decision to the entire Board (PSF If 6).

On May 8, 1984 Board held an en banc hearing and denied Jackson parole (PSF ¶¶ 7 and 8). In reaching its decision, Board considered documents in Jackson’s parole file other than the letters Board’s panel had previously offered to show Jackson (PSF 1112). Jackson did not ask to see those documents, and Board did not provide them to him (PSF 11119 and 10).

In October 1985 Rule IV-C was replaced by 20 Ill.Admin. Code § 1610.30 (“Section 1610.30”) (Jackson Mem.Ex. C):

(a) Notice to the Inmate. Approximately sixty days prior to his next scheduled parole release hearing, the inmate will be notified in writing by the Board that he has been scheduled on the monthly docket.
(1) Request for Preliminary Record Review
(A) Request By the Inmate. Within fifteen days following the date of the notice of docketing, the inmate may request the opportunity for preliminary review of his parole file by using the form provided by the Board with [826]*826the notice. When a timely request for preliminary review is made, the Board will arrange for the inmate to review his parole file, in accord with the provisions of Section 1610.30(b), approximately thirty days prior to his hearing date. If no preliminary request is made or if transfer or security considerations prohibit review, the inmate will be allowed to review his file in accord with Section 1610.30(b), at the time of his release hearing.

* * * * * *

(b) Access to Records by the Inmate

(1) The inmate shall have access to all evidence considered by the Board unless the evidence is specifically found to:
(A) Include information which, if disclosed, would damage the therapeutic relationship between the inmate and the mental health professional;
(B) Subject any person to the actual risk of physical harm.
(C) Threaten the safety or security of the Department or an institution.
(2) An inmate who wishes to review a document submitted to the Board which bears the signature of a mental health or clinical services employee of the Department of Corrections must request that review through the Department of Corrections pursuant to Department Regulations (20 Ill.Admin. Code 107). The Board will not provide direct access to any documents in this category.

Board does not anticipate any change in Section 1610.30 (Klincar Aff. in Board Mem.Ex. A).

Board conducted another parole hearing May 7, 1986 and again denied Jackson parole (id.). Jackson complains of that hearing (119):

a. [Jackson’s] rights under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment were violated when [Board] failed to allow him access to all evidence considered by [Board] concerning his May 7, 1986 parole hearing.
b. [Jackson’s] rights under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment were violated when [Board] failed to inform him of the existence of psychological reports within his official file, and the fact that they had been withheld from his consideration.

May 1984 Hearing

Jackson claims Board’s refusal to provide him with documents Board considered in denying him parole in 1984 deprived him of the opportunity to ensure Board did not ground its parole decision on erroneous information, thus violating his right to procedural due process. In support of that claim Jackson Mem. 2 cites Walker v. Prisoner Review Board, 694 F.2d 499 (7th Cir. 1982), on remand, 594 F.Supp. 556 (N.D.Ill.1984), aff'd, 769 F.2d 396 (7th Cir.1985), cert. denied, — U.S.-, 106 S.Ct. 817, 88 L.Ed.2d 791 (1986).

Walker first found (694 F.2d at 501, citing United States ex rel. Scott v. Illinois Parole and Pardon Board, 669 F.2d 1185, cert. denied sub nom. McCombs v. Scott, 459 U.S. 1048, 103 S.Ct. 468, 74 L.Ed.2d 617 (1982)) Illinois law creates an expectancy of release on parole, entitled to due process protection.

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Jackson v. Illinois Prisoner Review Board, 657 F. Supp. 823, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2311 (N.D. Ill. 1987).

657 F. Supp. 823 (Jackson v. Illinois Prisoner Review Board) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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