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Role of the Expert on Prison Conditions - The Battle of Footnotes in Rhodes v Chapman

NCJ Number
81019
Journal
Criminal Law Bulletin Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: (January/February 1982) Pages: 38-49
Author(s)
H Toch
Date Published
1982
Length
12 pages
Annotation
There are precious few hard studies on the effects of various conditions of confinement upon the prison population. This article, an analysis of one case, Rhodes v. Chapman, is a plea for such studies so that constitutional standards can be fleshed out.
Abstract
Experts who are called as witnesses for plaintiffs in Eighth Amendment cases typically bemoan existing conditions in the prison in question. Judges often refer to the opinions of these experts and to 'serious studies' supporting their conclusions. (Publisher abstract)