Christopher Villanueva lost his left leg in an accident and for years has used a below-the-knew prosthesis. However, prison officials took it away from him when he entered prison. As a result, his leg has shriveled, and he has lost muscle tone and mass because of the non-use of his leg, and he has lost the ability to bend his knee. His pleas to return the prosthesis to him were denied. FJI has filed a lawsuit against the FDOC and Corizon, the company responsible for providing inmate medical care, seeking the immediate return of his prosthesis, the required physical therapy to ensure that he is able to use it properly, and damages for the years of mistreatment. FJI has also filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction.
December 2014 Update: The parties have reached a settlement agreement for $100,000, inclusive of attorneys’ fees and costs. The Department of Corrections has further agreed to permit Mr. Villanueva to retain his prosthesis and the receive proper physical therapy.
This case represents one portion of FJI’s overall strategy of ensuring that incarcerated people with disabilities receive the aids, care, and services that are required under the law.