James Colvin, a 70-year-old inmate at Rayburn Correctional Center in Louisiana, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that prison officials have failed to provide him with adequate medical care, violating his constitutional and statutory rights. The complaint was filed by Colvin on February 7, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against several prison officials including Travis Day, Juan Martinez, Leslie Wheat, Kevin Luper, Doug Brooks, and Jules Hebert.
Colvin's legal battle centers around the inadequate healthcare he claims to have received while incarcerated. According to the complaint, Colvin suffers from multiple serious health conditions including a neurogenic bladder requiring an implanted neurostimulator device. This device is critical for his ability to urinate but requires a special controller that prison staff allegedly confiscated upon his return from a medical procedure. The complaint details how this denial of access forced Colvin to self-catheterize multiple times daily, leading to severe infections and permanent disfigurement.
Colvin accuses the defendants of violating his Eighth Amendment rights by subjecting him to cruel and unusual punishment through deliberate indifference to his medical needs. Furthermore, he alleges violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act due to discriminatory practices against him as a person with disabilities. The lawsuit also claims negligence under Louisiana state law.
The plaintiff seeks declaratory and injunctive relief alongside compensatory damages for these alleged violations. Specifically, Colvin requests routine access to his medical devices without retaliation or further punitive measures from prison staff. His complaint outlines various instances where he was denied timely access to necessary medical equipment or subjected to harmful security procedures despite warnings about potential risks.
Colvin's attorneys argue that these actions constitute intentional discrimination and retaliation against him for asserting his rights under federal law. They claim that prison officials have consistently ignored or dismissed recommendations from medical professionals regarding his care needs.
The case is being handled by Bruce Hamilton of Warfield Hamilton Law LLC based in New Orleans. It is assigned Civil Action No.: 2:25-cv-00279 in front of an unnamed judge at this time.