A class-action lawsuit alleging that the State of Arkansas violated the rights of mentally ill inmates by delaying necessary psychological treatment is scheduled to begin next month. U.S. District Judge Stephen Reasoner recently granted the plaintiff's request for class-action status.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs claim that the lack of treatment was cruel and unusual punishment, a direct violation of the Constitution's Eighth Amendment. Attorneys for the State admit that there may be a problem, but deny that the lack of treatment rises to the level of cruel and unusual punishment.