Involuntary Medical Treatment and Feeding (Inmates)

The Second Department, remitting the matter, determined that, although it was demonstrated the inmate lTyrone) lacked the capacity to make a reasoned decision about his treatment for schizophrenia, the petitioner did not demonstrate the proposed treatment was narrowly tailored to the inmate’s needs:

When seeking to administer a course of medication to a patient without that patient’s consent, a petitioner bear the burden of demonstrating, by clear and convincing evidence, (1) the patient’s incapacity to make treatment decisions … , and (2) that “the proposed treatment is narrowly tailored to give substantive effect to the patient’s liberty interest, taking into consideration all relevant circumstances, including the patient’s best interests, the benefits to be gained from the treatment, the adverse side effects associated with the treatment and any less intrusive alternative treatments” … . “Whether a mentally ill patient has the capacity to make a reasoned decision with respect to treatment is a question of fact for the hearing court, the credibility findings of which are entitled to due deference” … . … [T]e petitioner demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that Tyrone lacks the capacity to make a reasoned decision with respect to the proposed treatment. …

However, the petitioner failed to demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that the proposed treatment is narrowly tailored to preserve Tyrone’s liberty interest. Matter of Tyrone M., 2020 NY Slip Op 04478, Second Dept 8-12-20

The Third Department affirmed the grant of a petition by the prison warden authorizing the force feeding of an inmate for the duration of his incarceration:

When an inmate commences a hunger strike, which, if continued, would create a substantial risk of imminent death or serious permanent injury, a force-feeding order is warranted if the state’s intervention, even if contrary to the inmate’s constitutional rights, is reasonably related to its legitimate penological interests, including those in preserving the inmate’s life and maintaining safety and discipline within the facility (see Matter of Bezio v Dorsey, 21 NY3d 93, 99, 101-107 [2013]). The record shows that respondent had repeatedly engaged in hunger strikes since May 2013 with the stated purpose of obtaining a transfer to a maximum A security facility, and that respondent had stated that he would continue his hunger strike until he died or was transferred. …

We look no further than the holding in Matter of Bezio v Dorsey (supra) to reach the conclusion that the state’s interest in preserving respondent’s life outweighs any claimed infringement of respondent’s constitutional rights. On the record before us, Supreme Court properly issued a force-feeding order for the duration of respondent’s incarceration. Matter of Martuscello v Jua TT., 2016 NY Slip Op 08905, 3rd Dept 12-29-16

INVOLUNTARY MEDICAL TREATMENT AND FEEDING (INMATES) (AUTHORIZATION TO FORCE FEED INMATE FOR THE DURATION OF HIS INCARCERATION PROPERLY GRANTED)/INMATES (INVOLUNTARY MEDICAL TREATMENT AND FEEDING, AUTHORIZATION TO FORCE FEED INMATE FOR THE DURATION OF HIS INCARCERATION PROPERLY GRANTED)

ALTHOUGH PETITIONER DEMONSTRATED THE INMATE LACKED THE CAPACITY TO MAKE A REASONED DECISION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TREATMENT FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA, PETITIONER DID NOT DEMONSTRATE THE PROPOSED TREATMENT WAS NARROWLY TAILORED TO THE INMATE’S NEEDS (SECOND DEPT).

AUTHORIZATION TO FORCE FEED INMATE FOR THE DURATION OF HIS INCARCERATION PROPERLY GRANTED.

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