Hatch v. Szymanski

Jesse Hatch was an inmate in the Stateville Correctional Center when he submitted a pro se petition asking the court to issue a writ of mandamus. In his petition, Hatch alleged that Zenon Szymanski, Stateville’s superintendent in charge of the prison’s industry program, had an official duty to consider Hatch for a job in either the prison’s garment shop or furniture shop. The State moved to dismiss the petition for failure to state a cause of action. 735 ILCS 5/2 — 615(a) (West 2000). The circuit court granted the motion. On appeal, Hatch argues that the court erred by granting the State’s…