Pennsylvania inmates sue over ‘tortuous conditions’ of solitary confinement

By BROOKE SCHULTZ
Associated Press/Report for America

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A group of five Pennsylvania inmates have sued over the solitary confinement conditions in a state prison, saying the conditions are unconstitutional, worsening and creating mental illness in those held there. The lawsuit was filed in federal court Tuesday. It accuses the Department of Corrections’ State Correctional Institution at Fayette of placing those incarcerated into confinement based on secret evidence, leaving inmates unable to challenge their placement and subjecting them to “torturous conditions.” A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections declined comment, saying the agency does not comment on pending litigation.