Donald Raymond Smith v. Merle R. Schneckloth, Superintendent, California Conservation Center

This is an appeal from the district court’s dismissal of a complaint filed under the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 , by an inmate of the California Conservation Center. The complaint alleged that the plaintiff was denied equal protection of law when prison authorities transferred him from his assigned work as a dental technician at the Center solely because he is a narcotics addict. In addition, plaintiff alleged that the failure to provide him either medical treatment for his addiction or adequate vocational training amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

The district court held that the complaint failed to state a cause of action. We agree.

1. Of course, “it is well established that prisoners do not lose all their constitutional rights and that the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment follow them into prison and protect them there * * *.” Washington v. Lee, 263 F.Supp. 327, 331 (M.D.Ala.1966), aff’d and approved, 390 U.S. 333 , 88 S.Ct. 994 , 19 L.Ed.2d 1212 (1968); accord, Jackson v. Bishop, 404 F.2d 571, 576 (8th Cir.1968).

It is also settled, however, that correctional authorities have wide discretion in matters of internal prison…