Saylor v. Jeffreys

James Saylor asks whether prison officials may keep a prisoner with serious mental illness in prolonged solitary confinement under the Americans with Disabilities Act or Rehabilitation Act. He also challenges the Eighth Circuit's treatment of an earlier lawsuit and later-developed facts.

The petition for certiorari (the Court's decision whether to hear a case) was submitted to Justice Kavanaugh. Oral argument has not been scheduled, and no Supreme Court decision is available.

The case concerns prisoners with serious mental illness who remain in solitary confinement for years. For example, a prisoner with post-traumatic stress disorder could face continued isolation while disputing whether disability-rights laws require different treatment.

Watch for a Supreme Court scheduling move or an order on whether to grant certiorari. No decision window is available yet.

The petition asks whether disability-rights laws bar prolonged solitary confinement because a prisoner has serious mental illness. It also raises whether a prior case blocks a later challenge based on new facts.

Prisoners with serious mental illness who have spent years in solitary confinement could be affected. Prison officials could also face questions about how disability-rights laws apply to isolation.

The Court may decide whether to grant certiorari, meaning agree to hear the case. Oral argument has not been scheduled, and no decision timing is available.