Skip navigation
× You have 2 more free articles available this month. Subscribe today.

Wisconsin Pretrial Detainees Subject To Same Conditions As Prisoners

Wisconsin State pro se detainee patient at the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center (Center), Eric Hendrickson, brought federal action and alleged state law violations against the State and the Center. He claimed violation for being a pretrial detainee but being treated as a convicted prisoner. The complaint was dismissed.

The complaint alleged violations for: insufficient work or pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act; restrictive treatment and conditions including cell confinement; mail screening; visitation and phone restrictions; refused access to adult films, reading material, cell phones, and computers; spending and property restrictions; uncomfortable sleeping arrangements; no view of nature or wildlife; random cell search subjection; and required treatment program participation.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin held that prior rulings dictated that detainees may be subjected to advance goal conditions for escape prevention and safety and security concerns even though they may not be punished. The court further held that his required participation in treatment programs and rule compliance was due to his sexual illness and dismissed his complaint with prejudice, but dismissed his State claims without prejudice to preserve his filing of them in State court. See: Hendrickson v. Nelson. Case No. OS c 1305 (E.D. Wis. Aug. 16, 2006).

As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.

Subscribe today

Already a subscriber? Login

Related legal case

Hendrickson v. Nelson