Sands v. Warden Dana Metzger

District Court, D. Delaware·Decided May 4, 2021·No. 1:19-cv-02275·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE CHRISTOPHER BRIAN SANDS, : Plaintiff, v. □ Civ. No. 19-2275-CFC WARDEN DANA METZGER, etal, Defendants.

Christopher Brian Sands, James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, Smyrna, Delaware, Pro Se Plaintiff.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

May 4, 2021 Wilmington, Delaware

CL PCL. CONNOLLY, U.S. District Judge: l. INTRODUCTION Plaintiff Christopher Brian Sands, an inmate at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC) in Smyrna, Delaware, filed this action alleging violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the Establishment Clause, and the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc, et seq.’ (D.I. 3) Plaintiff appears pro se and has been granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis. (D.|. 6) The original Complaint was dismissed upon screening and Plaintiff was given leave to amend. (D.I. 8, 9) An Amended Complaint was filed on July 2, 2020. (D.!. 12) The Court proceeds to review and screen the Amended Complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(b) and 1915A(a). I. BACKGROUND The following facts are taken from the Amended Complaint and assumed to be true for screening purposes. See Umland v. PLANCO Fin. Servs., Inc., 542 F.3d 59, 64 (3d Cir. 2008). Plaintiff was transferred to SHU? 17 on October 7, 2019, following a disciplinary write-up. (D.!. 12 at 5) Unlike inmates housed in the general population or

' The constitutional violations arise under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. When bringing a § 1983 claim, a plaintiff must allege that some person has deprived him of a federal right, and that the person who caused the deprivation acted under color of state law. See West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). 2 The Security Housing Unit (“SHU”) houses those inmates who have demonstrated that they cannot be housed in a lesser security and/or whose behavior and history are deemed to require maximum security housing. See https://doc.delaware.gov/views/jtvcc. blade.shtml (last visited Apr. 1, 2021).

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Sands v. Warden Dana Metzger, (D. Del. 2021).

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Related

West v. Atkins
487 U.S. 42 (Supreme Court, 1988)
Umland v. PLANCO Financial Services, Inc.
542 F.3d 59 (Third Circuit, 2008)