By Tom Haydon
NJ.com
ELIZABETH, N.J. — Inmates frequently file lawsuits over prison conditions. With nothing but time on their hands, those serving time often seek court redress for everything from bad food to claims of medical maltreatment.
Most cases are summarily dismissed. But Lester Alford, an admitted member of a vicious street gang serving a 50-year sentence for an execution-style murder — who claims the last eight years he has spent in solitary confinement violates his rights against cruel and unusual punishment — is about to get his day in court.
The state Attorney General’s office, in court papers filed in the case, declared there was “not a shred of evidence, much less substantial evidence, showing the restrictions were unnecessary or unjustified.”
But Alford’s charges that he was thrown into solitary without a proper hearing will be the subject of a rare review before a Superior Court judge in Union County come this July.
Full Story: Inmate takes the state to court; trial set for challenge to solitary confinement