GRAND RAPIDS, MI - An inmate whose chronic masturbation and exhibitionism kept him confined to his cell for years says he was subject to cruel and unusual punishment and provided inadequate mental-health treatment.

Joel Carter spent years confined to his cell, with loss of privileges, after amassing over 200 sexual-misconduct reports since 2005.

He filed a federal lawsuit against Michigan Department of Corrections alleging that his lockdown status led to muscle atrophy, weight gain, an inability to concentrate, hypersomnia, hypertension, anxiety, panic attacks and thoughts of suicide.

A magistrate judge has recommended that the lawsuit, filed Jan. 11, 2013, against MDOC and 25 others, including mental-health professionals, be terminated.

The case against many defendants, including MDOC, has already been dismissed.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Ellen Carmody this week recommended that Eighth Amendment claims of cruel and unusual punishment be dismissed against the remaining defendants: a psychologist, psychiatrist and a mental-health unit chief.

U.S. District Judge Janet Neff will act on the recommendation.

Carter says he suffers from multiple sclerosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or sexual-impulsivity disorder. He said he didn't receive needed treatment.

"It is not disputed that Plaintiff received treatment ... ," Carmody wrote.

"Instead, Plaintiff simply disagrees with the course of treatment he received or believes that such constituted negligent care. ... (S)uch allegations simply do not implicate the Eighth Amendment," Carmody wrote.

A psychologist said in a statement: "In my opinion as a psychologist, (Carter's) excessive masturbation was a functional behavior, and not a result of any mental illness. (Plaintiff) was able to change his behavior to comply with unit rules when he chose to do so.

"For instance, (Plaintiff) was placed on in-cell status due to his inappropriate behavior, and he was required to change his behavior and stop masturbating on female staff to get released from in-cell status."

The psychologist said Carter only targeted certain female workers, which showed he could control his impulses. He was provided mental-health treatment for his diagnosed conditions.

"(Plaintiff's) excessive masturbation was not diagnosed as a mental illness, and no additional therapy was prescribed to treat his alleged condition because his activity was not caused by a mental illness."

Carter, 33, is held on Monroe County drug charges. His earliest release date passed nearly three years ago. His latest is March 2, 2043.

He is held in Macomb Correctional Facility but his complaints include stays at Ionia Maximum Correctional Facility, Marquette Branch Prison, Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in Adrian and Michigan Reformatory, records showed.

John Agar covers crime and other issues for MLiveE-mail John Agar: jagar@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ReporterJAgar