Charles L. Kirby v. Stanley Blackledge, Warden of Central Prison, and v. Lee Bounds, Commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Corrections

Mr. Justice CLARK:

While federal courts are most reluctant to interfere in the administration of state or federal prison systems, it becomes necessary to do so where constitutionally secured rights of prisoners are abridged by prison officials without compelling justification. We have such a case here.

This § 1983 action was brought by prisoners incarcerated in the maximum security section of North Carolina Central Prison at Raleigh — known as I & J cell blocks. In the complaint, it is alleged that the informal hearing procedures used to assign prisoners to these units violate the Due Process…