Wilmington, DE — A federal judge has dismissed a civil rights lawsuit filed by a Delaware inmate who claimed corrections staff failed to protect him from being assaulted by another prisoner during a supervised recreation session at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center.
Ramon A. Joyner, currently incarcerated at the Smyrna-based prison, alleged six Delaware Department of Correction officers violated his constitutional rights by failing to prevent the April 2023 assault. The incident occurred after Joyner and inmate Antoine Banks were escorted to the yard by two officers and locked in together as part of standard security protocol. Joyner claimed the officers showed deliberate indifference by unhandcuffing Banks first, allowing him to attack before Joyner could defend himself.
U.S. Chief District Judge Colm F. Connolly ruled that there was no evidence to support Joyner’s claim that any of the defendants—Officers Hammond and Luke, Lt. Faulkner, Capt. Sennett, Major Dotson, and Robert May—violated his Eighth Amendment rights. The court found that the correctional officers followed DDOC safety procedures and had no prior indication that Banks posed a threat to Joyner.
According to the ruling, both inmates were placed in a secured recreation yard and uncuffed individually, starting with Banks. Joyner alleged that the officers knew or should have known the risk of violence, but the judge noted there was no evidence of previous conflicts between the two men or any warning signs that would have triggered increased precautions.
Joyner, who filed the complaint without an attorney, amended the lawsuit in April to add three supervisory officials, arguing they were also responsible for systemic failures. However, the judge concluded those claims lacked factual support and could not proceed without specific evidence tying them to the incident.
Defendants filed for summary judgment after discovery was completed, and the court found no material dispute of fact to justify a trial. The judge’s ruling ends Joyner’s civil lawsuit unless he appeals.
Key Points
- A Delaware inmate’s civil rights lawsuit over a prison yard assault was dismissed by a federal judge.
- The court found correctional staff followed protocol and had no prior warning of a threat.
- Summary judgment was granted to all six defendants due to lack of evidence.
A prisoner’s claim of deliberate indifference fell short after the court ruled corrections officers did nothing wrong.