Pelican Bay State Prison Case Study

A Pelican Bay State Prison inmate, Jesse Perez, was recently awarded $25,000 in damages in reference to a case filed against correctional officers that were accused of acting in violation of the prisoner’s First Amendment rights. Perez was identified by officers at another prison as a member of the Mexican Mafia. After he was identified in 2005, Perez was transferred to Pelican Bay’s Security Housing Unit. The lawsuit was filed against the officers who claimed they identified him as a member of the Mexican Mafia. Perez claims that their determination and decision to reassign him was a violation of his rights by way of the constitution.

The case was settled near the end of 2012, but on October 10, 2012, the plaintiff and his cellmate were