Outman v. Annucci

49 Misc. 3d 1129, 19 N.Y.S.3d 678
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 26, 2015
StatusPublished

This text of 49 Misc. 3d 1129 (Outman v. Annucci) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Outman v. Annucci, 49 Misc. 3d 1129, 19 N.Y.S.3d 678 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Henry F. Zwack, J.

In this CPLR article 78 proceeding, petitioner Alan/Sara Outman,1 an inmate at the Clinton Correctional Facility, seeks review and vacatur of the denial of her grievance in which she requested special housing on account of her diagnosis of gender dysphoria.2 Petitioner alleges that respondent, knowing the diagnosis, failed to meet her need for separate housing in a specialized unit, and such failure is discriminatory and in violation of her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Human Rights Law of the State of New York, the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, and the 8th Amendment. Petitioner further alleges that respondent’s failure to meet her specialized housing needs is a violation of the Federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Petitioner also alleges that respondent Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has failed to comply with its own policies and directives by placing her in housing that has failed to protect her from sexual harassment and abuse. Petitioner argues respondent’s determinations have therefore been arbitrary, capricious and made in error of its own procedure, and must be vacated.

Respondent opposes the relief sought in the petition, and asserts that petitioner’s housing determination is reasonable, rational and made in conformity with all the applicable rules and regulations regarding the same, including the requirements set forth in Correction Law § 72. Respondent also points out that neither DOCCS procedures nor the PREA standards guarantee any inmate a particular placement. Respondent also argues that petitioner has failed to set out causes of action for violations of her constitutional rights, and as a whole, her petition should be dismissed for failure to state a cause of action.

Petitioner alleges that even while she was housed in a special housing unit, namely the Assessment and Program Prepara[1131]*1131tion Unit (APPU) — which is a high profile and high security unit for the most victim-prone inmates — she was continuously harassed and sexually propositioned, and her complaints were ignored by DOCCS’ staff. The petition further alleges that by failing to place her in a special housing unit just for the transgendered, she continues to be at risk, and also that in her present APPU housing she is denied programs and opportunities that are available to the general prison population. Petitioner believes that the denial of special housing has implicated her constitutional rights, the Human Rights Law, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and also runs afoul of her rights under the PREA.

In its answer, respondent asserts that petitioner has failed to state a viable cause of action upon which any relief can be granted, as it has appropriately exercised all statutory and regulatory requirements in accordance with its directives and policies in determining her housing. Respondent also argues that the petitioner’s claims are not justiciable, and that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over any claim relating to its implementation of the Federal PREA. Respondent asserts that in response to petitioner’s request for specialized, separate housing — a claim in which she raised the issue that she could not be housed with homosexual men — petitioner was advised that an inmate does not have a right to any particular housing placement and that on a case by case basis DOCCS is authorized to make individualized determinations as to whether placement of an inmate will ensure the inmate’s health and safety or present management or security problems.

Review of an agency determination is extremely limited, with the court’s inquiry limited to whether the challenged determination was arbitrary or capricious, in sum whether it had a rational basis (Matter of Johnson v Ambach, 74 AD2d 986, 987 [3d Dept 1980]). Substantial evidence would be required to demonstrate that the present determination is irrational (Matter of Sutton v Selsky, 52 AD3d 1135 [3d Dept 2008]). Where a matter before the court concerns the interpretation of interrelated statutes, the deference the court is required to give to an agency extends to its interpretation of the statutes (Matter of Tribeca Equity Partners, L.P. v New York State Div. of Hous. & Community Renewal, 2015 NY Slip Op 25216[U] [Sup Ct, NY County 2015]).

Correction Law § 72 grants DOCCS the sole authority in determining housing placements, and the courts have held [1132]*1132that an inmate in the custody of DOCCS does not possess any constitutional right to reside in any particular facility (Matter of Allegretti v Coughlin, 81 AD2d 958 [3d Dept 1981]). As the Superintendent points out in his response to petitioner’s grievance, DOCCS considers on a case by case basis whether a particular placement ensures an inmate’s health and safety, and whether the placement would present management or security issues. Albeit DOCCS provides specialized housing for disabled inmates, it offers no special units for inmates who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria; instead all gender dysphoric transgender inmates are immediately removed from any form of “male housing assignments/classifications.” The Superintendent points out that “neither the forthcoming DOCCS procedures nor the PREA Standards guarantee any inmate a particular placement.”

In its determination of petitioner’s appeal, DOCCS’ Central Office Review Committee (CORC) correctly cites to the relevant section of the PREA regulations, 28 CFR 115.42 (g), which prohibits the agency from placing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex inmates in dedicated facilities, units or wings solely on the basis of such identification or status, unless it is pursuant to a consent order or judgment made for the purpose of protecting the inmate. Thus, petitioner is incorrect when she cites to this statute as requiring DOCCS to provide her with separate housing.3

Turning to petitioner alleging that DOCCS procedure for determining her housing is infringing upon a fundamental due process right, the Due Process Clause of the Constitution ensures that all persons who are similarly situated be treated alike and where, as here, the nature of the alleged violation involves gender, it is subject to strict scrutiny (Samuels v New York State Dept. of Health, 29 AD3d 9 [3d Dept 2006]). That said, even “when a policy or regulation impinges on a prisoner’s constitutional rights, the action [nevertheless] ‘is valid if it is reasonably related to legitimate penological interests’ ” (Matter of Walton v New York State Dept. of Correctional Servs., 13 NY3d 475, 491 [2009], quoting Turner v Safley, 482 US 78, 89 [1987]).

[1133]*1133To determine whether a prison policy or regulation impinges upon a prisoner’s constitutional rights or is reasonably related to legitimate penological interests, the court must consider a number of factors,

“including the extent to which the right asserted by the inmate is compatible with incarceration; whether the challenged prison action or policy is consistent with the institutional interests that are cited to justify it; whether [there are] other means . . .

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Related

Estelle v. Gamble
429 U.S. 97 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Turner v. Safley
482 U.S. 78 (Supreme Court, 1987)
Walton v. New York State Department of Correctional Services
921 N.E.2d 145 (New York Court of Appeals, 2009)
Matter of Nunez v. Central Office Review Committee
126 A.D.3d 1248 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2015)
Bezio v. Dorsey
989 N.E.2d 942 (New York Court of Appeals, 2013)
Skillgames v. Brody
1 A.D.3d 247 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2003)
Samuels v. New York State Department of Health
29 A.D.3d 9 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2006)
Sutton v. Selsky
52 A.D.3d 1135 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2008)
Johnson v. Ambach
74 A.D.2d 986 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1980)
Allegretti v. Coughlin
81 A.D.2d 958 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1981)
Duffen v. State
245 A.D.2d 653 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1997)
Vitale v. Steinberg
307 A.D.2d 107 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
49 Misc. 3d 1129, 19 N.Y.S.3d 678, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/outman-v-annucci-nysupct-2015.