Section 1983 Liability and Custodial Suicide: a Look at What Plaintiffs Face in Court

This paper reviews recent federal court rulings on section 1983 cases relating to custodial suicide. The criteria for succeeding in such cases was not clearly articulated until the Farmer versus Brennan case was decided by the United States Supreme Court in 1994. This paper includes an analysis of the defence available to corrections personnel faced with a section 1983 lawsuit for a correctional suicide that occurred on their watch. (LC) (11 refs)