To reach the standard of deliberate indifference, corrections officials must know of and disregard a substantial risk of serious harm to the inmate's health.

• A. Corrections officials must know of and disregard a substantial risk of serious harm to the inmate's health.
• B. Corrections officials must anticipate any hazard and act before it occurs.
• C. Only actual harm requires action.
• D. Deliberate indifference applies only in medical settings, not corrections.

Answer: (D)

Deliberate indifference in corrections means a staff member knows an inmate faces a substantial risk of serious harm to health and consciously ignores that risk or fails to take reasonable steps to address it. The key is the combination of awareness of a real, serious danger and a purposeful disregard of it. It’s not about anticipating every hazard ahead of time, and it’s not limited to cases where harm has already occurred. The standard also applies to conditions and care within corrections, not only in medical settings. So when a staff member is aware that an inmate needs treatment or could suffer serious harm and does nothing—would-be prevention is treated as indifference.