Wright v. Dermitt

Respondents in these two appeals are inmates at the Idaho State Correctional Institution (ISCI). They filed petitions for writs of habeas corpus, contending they were denied their constitutional rights by being placed in the maximum security unit at ISCI without due process. Their petitions were denied at the magistrate level, and the denials were reversed on appeal to the district court.

The issue presented is whether persons sentenced to the state prison have the right to a hearing, with minimal procedural due process safeguards, before being placed in maximum security confinement for…