U.S. district court: diet exercise privileges religious services visits.

Wrinkles v. Davis, 311 F.Supp.2d 735 (N.D.Ind. 2004). Death row inmates at a state prison brought a [section] 1983 action in state court, alleging that a 79-day lockdown of the death row area violated their constitutional rights. The lockdown had been implemented after a death row inmate was killed during recreation, apparently by other death row inmates. The court held that ceasing, for security reasons, allowing religious volunteers into the death row unit for group religious services and for spiritual discussions during the lockdown did not violate the inmates' First Amendment right to practice their religion. The court also found no violation for the alleged denial of inmates' access to telephones for 55 days, to hygiene services for 65 days, to hot meals for 30 days, and to exercise equipment. According to the court, suspending all personal visits to death row inmates for the first 54 days of the lockdown did not violate the inmates' First Amendment rights, where visitation privileges were a matter subject to the discretion of prison officials. (Indiana State Prison)