Gates v. Cook.U.S. Appeals Court LIGHTS Gates v. Cook, 376 F.3d 323 (5th Cir. 2004). A death row prisoner brought a suit on behalf of himself and other prisoners confined con·fine v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines v.tr. 1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit. to death row, alleging that certain conditions of confinement on death row violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment Such punishment as would amount to torture or barbarity, any cruel and degrading punishment not known to the Common Law, or any fine, penalty, confinement, or treatment that is so disproportionate to the offense as to shock the moral sense of the community. . The district court found that a number of conditions violated the Eighth Amendment and issued an injunction designed to alleviate the conditions. The defendants appealed. The appeals court affirmed in part and vacated in part. The court found that lighting in each death row cell was less than twenty foot-candles, in violation of the constitutional rights of the class members. Expert testimony Testimony about a scientific, technical, or professional issue given by a person qualified to testify because of familiarity with the subject or special training in the field. was presented that lighting in the cells was grossly inadequate for the purposes of sanitation, personal hygiene personal hygiene person n → Körperhygiene f and reading, and that these conditions contributed to further mental health deterioration. (Mississippi Department of Corrections, Unit 32-C, State Penitentiary penitentiary: see prison. in Parchman) |
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