A 38-year-old inmate of the Blair County Prison is seeking a court-ordered injunction that would enable him to have at least one hour a day out of his cell.

Joshua Lee Benz has become the latest inmate to seek relief from the federal court in Johnstown.

His civil rights lawsuit, filed last Thursday, was the ninth federal petition in the past two months seeking better living conditions for the 300-plus inmates in the county prison.

The lawsuits have complained about the violence within the institution, the crowded conditions, the food and the infestation of rodents.

Most of the civil rights actions complain that their Eighth Amendment right barring cruel and unusual punishment is breached by the living conditions.

The civil lawsuits are all seeking money damages.

Benz stated he too is asking such damages, but related that he will also request the court grant a preliminary injunction that would permit him one hour a day of “out-of-cell” recreation.

He stated that he and other inmates in solitary confinement are not permitted out of their cells, which, he contends, “is required by law.”

Benz claims that he was placed in the prison Restricted Housing Unit, called the “Hole,” on Sept. 24, and has not been granted recreation since then.

Along with his injunction request, he filed affidavits from two other inmates stating they are suffering the same fate — no recreation.

He also complained that he is permitted to use a razor only once a month.

And, the inmate added, he has been denied attendance at religious services.

In a communication with the Mirror, Benz stated, “I also want the public to be aware of the inhuman conditions of confinement.”

“I’ve been housed in a cell since October 1, 2025, with human feces stuck to the wall,” he wrote.

“I’ve addressed this to numerous corrections officers only to be ignored.”

Benz continued, stating he is being forced to live in inhuman conditions, “which is hazardous to my health. … I just want to raise the awareness to the community of the living condition of pretrial detainees.”

Court records show Benz is awaiting disposition of three active cases, all of which are awaiting “The Call Of The List” by the county’s president judge, which is a status review of each pending case.

Benz stated in his lawsuit that he is in an overcrowded cell block with “no proper ventilation” and that he suffers from headaches and dehydration.

Most of the recent complaints about conditions in the Blair County Prison have been referred to Magistrate Judge Keith A. Pesto in Johnstown; however, the Benz lawsuit will be reviewed by Magistrate Judge Patricia Dodge in Pittsburgh.