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Willie Harris v. T.J. Forsyth and F. Christensen
Citations: 735 F.2d 1235; 1984 U.S. App. LEXIS 22286Docket: 83-3394
Court: Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit; May 22, 1984; Federal Appellate Court
Willie Harris, an inmate at the Union Correctional Institution (UCI), appealed a summary judgment that upheld the confiscation of $31.00 from him by prison officials. Harris claimed this seizure constituted an unconstitutional deprivation of property under Section 1983, arguing he was not notified that money was deemed contraband at UCI after being transferred from the Cross City Correctional Institution, where currency was permitted. The district court ruled that the seizure did not violate Harris's constitutional rights, emphasizing the state's compelling interest in maintaining prison security and order. The court referenced the case Sullivan v. Ford, which established that reasonable regulations regarding inmate property are permissible. The statutes and regulations cited in Harris's case were found to be consistent with those upheld in Sullivan, specifically regarding the treatment of cash in canteen coupon institutions like UCI. The court further determined that Harris had been made aware of the contraband rules through other inmates and noted his prior incarceration at UCI, during which he had received disciplinary action for possessing currency. The court concluded that Harris had sufficient time to familiarize himself with the rules upon his transfer and that the lack of formal notice did not warrant relief. Ultimately, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court’s summary judgment, ruling that the confiscation of Harris's money was lawful and did not infringe upon his civil rights.