When Jabari Johnson asked to speak with a prison administrator about his administrative grievances, Colorado Department of Corrections officers physically assaulted him, stepping on his already-injured foot, pushing him into a flight of stairs while handcuffed and slamming his already-broken jaw.
Mr. Johnson attempted to sue to vindicate his rights, but a district court decided that Mr. Johnson failed to prove he suffered a serious-enough physical injury to satisfy the requirements of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA).
Mr. Johnson, represented by the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center (MJC), challenged this conclusion in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the opening brief, MJC explains that the interpretation of the PLRA statute, which the Tenth Circuit itself has never adopted, is completely unmoored from the statute’s text and intent. Furthermore, even if the district court’s unreasonable reading of the statute was correct, Mr. Johnson’s claims should have been allowed to proceed because his injuries satisfied the requirements.
The Tenth Circuit agreed, ruling that the allegations in Mr. Johnson’s complaint satisfied the PLRA physical injury requirements. It reversed the district court’s dismissal and remanded the case for further proceedings.