 In Correctional Services Corp. v. <unk> ( 2000 ) , Sotomayor , writing for the court , supported the right of an individual to sue a private corporation working on behalf of the federal government for alleged violations of that individual 's constitutional rights . Reversing a lower court decision , Sotomayor found that an existing Supreme Court doctrine , known as " <unk> " — which allows suits against individuals working for the federal government for constitutional rights violations — could be applied to the case of a former prisoner seeking to sue the private company operating the federal halfway house facility in which he resided . The Supreme Court reversed Sotomayor 's ruling in a 5 – 4 decision , saying that the <unk> doctrine could not be expanded to cover private entities working on behalf of the federal government . Justices Stevens , Souter , Ginsburg , and Breyer dissented , siding with Sotomayor 's original ruling . 
