Supreme Court of the United States
Lee v. Washington
March 11, 1968390 U.S. 333
Summary
The Court affirmed the three‑judge district court decree that Alabama statutes requiring racial segregation in prisons and jails violate the Fourteenth Amendment. It rejected the State’s arguments that Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure was violated and that the desegregation order ignored prison security concerns. Justice Black, Justice Harlan, and Justice Stewart, in a concurrence, emphasized that prison officials may consider racial tensions in security decisions without diluting the Court’s commitment to the Fourteenth Amendment’s prohibition of racial discrimination.
Holding
- Whether Alabama statutes requiring segregation of the races in prisons and jails violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.. Yes; the statutes violate the Fourteenth Amendment and are therefore invalid.
- Whether Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure was violated by the class‑action suit.. No; the Rule 23 requirements were not violated.
- Whether the desegregation order fails to accommodate the necessities of prison security and discipline.. No; the order is unexceptionable and does not impermissibly disregard prison security concerns.
Docket 75