Virginia 42 USC 1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Complaint is a legal claim of deprivation of rights under the color of state law. It is a federal statute that allows prisoners to file a lawsuit against a government official or employee for violating their civil rights while they were incarcerated. This can include any wrongs committed by federal, state, or local government officials or employees, such as a violation of the prisoner’s right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, the right to due process, freedom of speech, or any other right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution or Virginia state law. The two most common types of Virginia 42 USC 1983 Prisoner Civil Rights Complaints are claims alleging false imprisonment and claims alleging retaliation. A false imprisonment claim involves an allegation that a government official or employee wrongfully detained or confined the prisoner, without legal authority to do so. A retaliation claim involves an allegation that a government official or employee retaliated against the prisoner for exercising their constitutional rights or for filing a grievance.