Washington v. Central VA Regional Jail

UNPUBLISHED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT No. 04-6015 ALVIN O. WASHINGTON, Plaintiff - Appellant, versus CENTRAL VIRGINIA REGIONAL JAIL; APRIL RYDOR; LIEUTENANT HARDERSON; LIEUTENANT SHOULDER; LIEUTENANT WRIGHT; TONY GRIMS; OFFICER DARNELL; J. LLOYD, Captain; CAPTAIN GRAMM; JOHN DOES, and other unknown defendants, Defendants - Appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, at Roanoke. Samuel G. Wilson, Chief District Judge. (CA-02-495-7) Submitted: March 25, 2004 Decided: April 1, 2004 Before TRAXLER, KING, and DUNCAN, Circuit Judges. Affirmed as modified by unpublished per curiam opinion. Alvin O. Washington, Appellant Pro Se. Helen Eckert Phillips, Stanardsville, Virginia, for Appellees. Unpublished opinions are not binding precedent in this circuit. See Local Rule 36(c). PER CURIAM: Alvin O. Washington appeals the district court’s order dismissing his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2000) complaint for failure to exhaust administrative remedies. The district court properly required exhaustion of administrative remedies under 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a) (2000). Because Washington did not demonstrate to the district court that he had exhausted administrative remedies or that such remedies were not available, the court’s dismissal of the action was not an abuse of discretion. Washington may refile his action after exhaustion; therefore, we modify the dismissal to be without prejudice. See 28 U.S.C. § 2106 (2000). Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s order as modified. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before the court and argument would not aid the decisional process. AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED - 2 -