Porter v. Nussle

In Porter v. Nussle, 534 U.S. 516, 525 n.4, 152 L. Ed. 2d 12, 122 S. Ct. 983 (2002), the Supreme Court explained exhaustion in cases subject to 1997e(a) is "mandatory." 534 U.S. at 524. It further summarized the objectives of this mandatory exhaustion requirement as follows: Beyond doubt, Congress enacted 1997e(a) to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of prisoner suits; to this purpose, Congress afforded corrections officials time and opportunity to address complaints internally before allowing the initiation of a federal case. In some instances, corrective action taken in response to an inmate's grievance might improve prison administration and satisfy the inmate, thereby obviating the need for litigation. In other instances, the internal review might "filter out some frivolous claims." And for cases ultimately brought to court, adjudication could be facilitated by an administrative record that clarifies the contours of the controversy. Id. at 524-25.