Patrick B. Tompkins v. Valdis Collins, et al.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment in Patrick B. Tompkins’s 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action. The court held that Tompkins failed to exhaust administrative remedies under the Prison Litigation Reform Act because his inmate complaint concerned delayed psychiatric appointments rather than the alleged deliberate indifference claims against the defendants, and dismissed the action without prejudice.

Holdings

1. Defendants were entitled to summary judgment because Plaintiff failed to exhaust available administrative remedies for the deliberate-indifference claims asserted in the action.
2. Plaintiff's complaint about psychiatric staff delaying appointments did not exhaust his separate claims that Skinner ignored his cellmate's requests for help and that Collins forced him to return to the cell after the self-harm incident.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Defendants were entitled to summary judgment because Plaintiff failed to exhaust available administrative remedies before bringing his § 1983 action.
2. Whether Plaintiff's inmate complaint provided sufficient notice of the particular deliberate-indifference claims later asserted against Skinner and Collins.

Disposition

dismissed