Ramey v. Hawk

730 F. Supp. 1366, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16283, 1989 WL 168989
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedNovember 13, 1989
Docket88-386-HC
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 730 F. Supp. 1366 (Ramey v. Hawk) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ramey v. Hawk, 730 F. Supp. 1366, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16283, 1989 WL 168989 (E.D.N.C. 1989).

Opinion

JAMES C. FOX, District Judge.

On May 9, 1988, plaintiff filed this action challenging as unconstitutional a Disciplinary Hearing Office (hereinafter “DHO”) action of December 3, 1987, where he was found to have committed the prohibited act of “Failing to Provide a Urine Sample.” Thereafter plaintiff was allowed to file an Amended and Supplemental Complaint, wherein plaintiff petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus. In his Amended and Supplemental Complaint, plaintiff alleges that the Bureau of Prisons’ (hereinafter “BOP”) Urine Surveillance to Detect and Deter Illegal Drug Use Program is unconstitutional on its face and as applied to him. Plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgment that the statute violates the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Amendments of the United States Constitution, injunctive relief to permanently enjoin implementation of the urine surveillance program, reinstatement of 135 statutory good time days, and expungment from the record of the disciplinary actions and reports regarding his failing to provide a urine specimen.

On June 23, 1989, defendants filed a Motion to Dismiss or in the Alternative for Summary Judgment and a memorandum in support of their motion. Plaintiff responded to the motion and, on July 27, 1989, defendants filed a reply. On August 10, 1989, this court denied defendants’ motion, finding that there existed a genuine issue of material fact, to-wit, “whether or not the urine testing test parameters are medically and statistically reasonable as applied to a prison population.”

Defendants have moved for reconsideration of their motion for summary judgment and have filed additional affidavits in support thereof. Plaintiff has not responded thereto. The time for such response has expired however, and the matter is thus ripe for disposition. The undisputed facts are as follows.

Plaintiff is presently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Butner, North Carolina (hereinafter “FCI-But-ner”), serving a 12-year sentence based on three separate convictions. FCI-Butner administers a program of Urine Surveillance to Detect and Deter Illegal Drug Use. The policy was implemented pursuant to 28 C.F.R. §§ 550 et seq. and was amended at 53 Fed.Reg. 200. Said policy (Policy 6060.3, effective February 4, 1985), directs the establishment of a urine testing program. The purpose of the testing is to monitor inmates considered to be at high risk for drug use. The policy requires prison officials to request urine specimens from three groups of inmates; those involved in community activities, inmates suspected of drug use, and those randomly chosen to produce a specimen.

Once requested to produce a urine specimen, an inmate is offered four ounces of water and allowed two hours of time in which to produce the same. On October 17, 1988, the BOP policy was changed to allow that the inmate be offered eight ounces of water at the beginning of the two-hour period in order to assist the inmate in producing a sample. The inmate is under constant visual observation during the two-hour period by a staff member in order to ensure that the sample is not diluted or adulterated. If the inmate does not produce the sample within two hours, he is presumed unwilling and is disciplined. The inmate may rebut the presumption of unwillingness at his disciplinary hearing.

Dr. Robert L. Brutsche was the Medical Director of the Bureau of Prisons at the time the prison’s Urine Surveillance to Detect and Deter Illegal Drug Use Program was implemented. Dr. Brutsche consulted with various senior staff physicians and personnel at the drug-testing lab on contract with the BOP before presenting his recommendations as to the appropriate time and fluid restrictions which would be reasonable for requiring a prison inmate to provide a urine sample. Dr. Brutsche’s opinion was that, barring any identifiable medical problem, an inmate with access to four ounces of liquid could provide a urine *1369 sample within a two-hour time period. At the meeting where the urine testing parameters were determined, Dr. Brutsche presented his opinion. The BOP initially implemented the urine testing policy restricting fluid intake to four ounces and requiring that a sample be produced within two hours of a request. Later, after monitoring the program, the BOP determined that the fluid intake levels could be increased to eight ounces, an amount which was still within the range of fluid intake which would not dilute the drug levels and alter the test results. The present BOP policy, requiring an inmate with access to eight ounces of fluid to produce a urine sample within two hours, is based upon medical opinion derived from the expertise, training and experience of the medical staff at the BOP.

Statistical data substantiates the medical opinion that the parameters instituted by the BOP are reasonable. In fiscal year 1988, 15,919 urine testing test results were reported to the Southeast Regional Office of the BOP. Out of these only 34 or .21/1% of the total number of samples were refusals. The statistical refusals represent not only prisoners claiming medical disability, but prisoners who refuse to provide the urine sample for other reasons. These statistics show that 15,885 out of 15,919 persons, or 99.79% of the population requested to do so, were able to urinate within two hours and while drinking only eight ounces of water.

Plaintiff was ordered on three separate occasions, November 28, 1987; July 15, 1988; and September 30,1988, to produce a urine specimen pursuant to the Urine Surveillance Program. On November 28, 1987, the request was made after plaintiff returned from a furlough. Prior to leaving the prison on furlough, plaintiff agreed to be subjected to urine testing upon his return. The July 15, 1988, and September 30, 1988, requests for urine were made because plaintiff was suspected of drug use. On all three occasions, plaintiff refused to provide the sample. Subsequent to each incident, plaintiff was charged with Failing or Refusing to Provide a Urine Sample and was properly notified of the charges. Three hearings were held and, at each, plaintiff was given the opportunity to rebut the charges against him by presenting witnesses and written testimony. Plaintiff was found guilty of the charges on all three occasions and as a result was ordered to disciplinary segregation and forfeited statutory good time.

DISCUSSION

Plaintiffs Amended and Supplemental Complaint makes a facial challenge to the BOP policy on Urine Surveillance to Detect and Deter Illegal Drug Use, 28 C.F.R. 550.-30, Program Statement 6060.3 and 6060.4 (effective October 17, 1988. P.S. 6060.3 was rescinded and replaced by 6060.4). Plaintiff argues that the urine testing policy violates the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures because neither probable cause nor an articulable suspicion is necessary prior to requesting that an inmate provide a urine sample for drug testing.

Prisoners’ constitutional rights are subject to various “restrictions and limitations.” Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 545, 99 S.Ct. 1861, 1877, 60 L.Ed.2d 447 (1979). These limitations on inmates’ constitutional rights are based on various considerations inherent in the penal system.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
730 F. Supp. 1366, 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16283, 1989 WL 168989, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ramey-v-hawk-nced-1989.