In Brief

This case addressed the constitutional rights of prisoners sentenced to death. The Supreme Court held that a prisoner is only truly 'on death row' once their sentence becomes final and irreversible—after exhausting all legal remedies. Until then, death row prisoners must be treated like other convicted prisoners, with access to work, education, and vocational training. The Court struck down solitary confinement for death row prisoners unless justified by genuine security concerns with proper safeguards. Death row prisoners retain the right to meet lawyers, family, and mental health professionals. These protections apply uniformly across all states and territories."

The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.