Jones v. Norris, 02-2470.

• Decision Date: 09 October 2002
• Docket Number: No. 02-2470.,02-2470.
• Citation: 310 F.3d 610
• Parties: Harvey JONES, Appellant, v. Larry NORRIS, Director, Arkansas Department of Correction; Arkansas Post Prison Transfer Board, Members, Board of Correction; Ray Hobbs, Assistant Director, Arkansas Department of Correction; Crystal Woods, Classification Officer, Cummins Unit, ADC; Max Mobley, Deputy Director, Arkansas Department of Correction; Oluyinka Adediji, Dr., Cummins Unit, ADC, originally sued as Adediji; M D Reed; Dottie Yarbrough, Grievance Officer, Cummins Unit, ADC, originally sued as Dottie Yardbrough; T Compton, Inmate Grievance Supervisor, Arkansas Department of Correction, Appellees.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit

310 F.3d 610

Harvey JONES, Appellant, v. Larry NORRIS, Director, Arkansas Department of Correction; Arkansas Post Prison Transfer Board, Members, Board of Correction; Ray Hobbs, Assistant Director, Arkansas Department of Correction; Crystal Woods, Classification Officer, Cummins Unit, ADC; Max Mobley, Deputy Director, Arkansas Department of Correction; Oluyinka Adediji, Dr., Cummins Unit, ADC, originally sued as Adediji; M D Reed; Dottie Yarbrough, Grievance Officer, Cummins Unit, ADC, originally sued as Dottie Yardbrough; T Compton, Inmate Grievance Supervisor, Arkansas Department of Correction, Appellees.

No. 02-2470.

United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.

Submitted September 18, 2002.

Decided October 9, 2002.

Ordered Published October 23, 2002.

Harvey Jones, Grady, AR, pro se.

Michelle Banks Odum, Eric Fitzgerald Walker, Attorney General's Office, Little Rock, AR, Alan R. Humphries, J. Michael Lewis, Humphries Law Firm, Pine Bluff, AR, for appellees.

Before MCMILLIAN, FAGG, and BOWMAN, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM.

Harvey Jones, an Arkansas inmate, sued the Corrections defendants for incorrectly classifying him medically, assigning him an inappropriate job based on his medical needs, and failing to treat his medical needs. Jones is seeking reclassification from field duty because he claims his back, neck, right hand injuries and hemorrhoids cause him pain during this work. Jones's current medical classification notes Jones cannot grip with his right hand, but can accomplish field work. Jones filed multiple grievances requesting medical reclassification and job reassignment, but each grievance was denied. On June 6, 2000, the doctor examining Jones noted the tendon inflammation in Jones's right hand had improved and Jones's current restrictive classification seemed "excessive." Nevertheless, Jones was maintained at his current classification status.

The magistrate judge recommended denying Jones's motion for partial summary judgment and dismissing Jones's petition without prejudice for failing to exhaust prison grievance remedies against Mobley and Compton. Jones objected to the magistrate's report and recommendation, attaching copies of prison grievances against Mobley and Compton. The district court^* referred the objections and prison grievance forms to the magistrate. The magistrate analyzed Jones's grievances, and recommended that Jones's complaint be dismissed without prejudice because the grievance forms did not show Jones had exhausted his prison remedies. First, the magistrate noted that the grievance forms were not submitted until after the lawsuit was filed. Second, the magistrate noted the grievances were returned without decision on the merits because Jones failed to follow proper grievance procedure. Thus, the grievances did not receive substantive review by prison authorities. After de novo review, the district court adopted the magistrate's recommendations and dismissed Jones's petition without prejudice for failure to exhaust all claims. Jones now appeals pro se. Having reviewed the district court's findings of fact for clear error and conclusions of law de novo, we affirm the dismissal of Jones's complaint. Walker v. Maschner, 270 F.3d 573, 576 (8th Cir.2001).

The Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) amendments to 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a), mandate exhaustion of available administrative remedies before an inmate files suit. Booth v. Churner, 532 U.S. 731, 738-39, 121 S.Ct. 1819, 149 L.Ed.2d 958 (2001). Because Jones's medical classification is unchanged, filing a proper grievance against all defendants remains an available remedy. Jones must exhaust prison grievances before filing suit in federal court. Maschner, 270 F.3d at 576-77. Thus, the district court correctly dismissed Jones's complaint without prejudice. Graves v. Norris, 218 F.3d 884, 885 (8th Cir.2000) (dismissing petition...