State Supreme Courts Resource

The MacArthur Justice Center’s Supreme Court and Appellate Program is proud to launch its State Appellate Project which focuses on state courts of appeal and state supreme courts as fora to vindicate the rights of incarcerated people. The project is a response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s increasing resistance to upholding and extending the civil rights of the most vulnerable among us.

As part of this new initiative and in collaboration with Rights Behind Bars, the MacArthur Justice Center has gathered information from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Hover over a state to see our research on that state, which includes:

• The text of each state’s equivalent to the federal Eighth Amendment, the Prison Litigation Reform Act, and 42 U.S.C. §1983.
• The makeup of the state supreme court.
• The text of relevant state tort statutes.
• Whether the state recognizes an implied cause of action for constitutional violations.