pennsylvania department correctionset al yeskey argued april decided june held state prisons fall squarely within title ii statutory definition public entity includes instrumentality state local government unlike situation obtained gregory ashcroft ambiguous exception renders coverage uncertain reason requirement articulated gregory applicable federal intrusion upon administration state prisons met petitioners attempts derive intent cover prisons statutory references benefits programs qualified individual rejected prison programs one benefits restricted qualified inmates statute lack ambiguity also requires rejection petitioners appeal doctrine constitutional doubt address issue whether applying ada state prisons consti tutional exercise congress power either commerce clause fourteenth amendment addressed neither lower courts pp affirmed scalia delivered opinion unanimous notice opinion subject formal revision publication preliminary print reports readers requested notify reporter decisions washington typographical formal errors order corrections may made preliminary print goes press pennsylvania department corrections et al petitioners ronald yeskey writ certiorari appeals third circuit june justice scalia delivered opinion question us whether title ii americans disabilities act ada stat et seq prohibits public entity discriminating qualified individual disability account individual disability see covers inmates state prisons respondent ronald yeskey inmate sentenced may serve months pennsylvania correctional facility sentencing recommended placed pennsylvania motivational boot camp offenders successful completion led release parole six months see stat tit et seq purdon supp medical history hypertension however refused admission filed suit petitioners commonwealth pennsylvania department corrections several department officials alleging exclusion boot camp violated ada district dismissed failure state claim fed rule civ proc holding ada inapplicable inmates state prisons third circuit reversed granted certiorari petitioners argue state prisoners covered ada reason held gregory ashcroft state judges covered age discrimination employment act adea et seq gregory relied canon construction absent unmistakably clear expression intent alter usual constitutional balance federal government interpret statute preserve rather destroy substantial sovereign powers citations internal quotation marks omitted may well exercising ultimate control management state prisons like establishing qualifications state government officials traditional essential state function subject rule gregory one primary functions government said preservation societal order enforcement criminal law maintenance penal institutions essential part task procunier martinez overruled grounds thornburgh abbott difficult imagine activity state stronger interest preiser rodriguez assuming without deciding rule govern application ada administration state prisons think requirement rule amply met statute language unmistakeably includes state prisons prisoners within coverage situation comparable gregory although adea plainly covered state employees contained exception policymaking level made impossible us conclude statute plainly cover ed appointed state judges ada plainly covers state institutions without exception cast coverage prisons doubt title ii ada provides subject provisions subchapter qualified individual disability shall reason disability excluded participation denied benefits services programs activities public entity subjected discrimination entity state prisons fall squarely within statutory definition public entity includes department agency special purpose district instrumentality state local government petitioners contend phrase benefits services programs activities public entity creates ambiguity state prisons provide prisoners benefits programs services activities terms ordinarily understood disagree modern prisons provide inmates many recreational activities medical services educational vocational programs least theoretically benefit prisoners disabled prisoners excluded participation see block rutherford referring contact visitation program hudson palmer discussing rehabilitative programs services olim wakinekona referring appropriate correctional programs offenders indeed statute establishing motivational boot camp issue case refers program stat tit purdon supp text ada provides basis distinguishing programs services activities provided public entities prisons also disagree petitioners contention term qualified individual disability ambiguous insofar concerns application state prisoners statute defines term include anyone disability without reasonable modifications rules policies practices removal architectural communication transportation barriers provision auxiliary aids services meets essential eligibility requirements receipt services participation programs activities provided public entity petitioners argue words eligibility participation imply voluntariness part applicant seeks benefit state thus connote prisoners held wrong two counts first words connote voluntariness see webster new international dictionary ed eligible fitted qualified chosen elected legally morally suitable eligible candidate id participate share common others partake share debate eligible individuals participate voluntarily many programs services activities others eligible participation mandatory drug addict convicted drug possession example might part sentence required participate drug treatment program addicts eligible secondly even words connote voluntariness still true prison services programs activities excluded act participation voluntary prison law library example service use activity prisoners free take leave cf gabel lynaugh per curiam pro se civil rights litigation become recreational activity state prisoners case hand governing law makes clear participation boot camp program voluntary see stat tit purdon supp eligible inmate may make application motivational boot camp selection committee permission participate motivational boot camp program onditio participa tion applicant agree bound certain terms conditions finally petitioners point statute statement findings purpose mention prisons prisoners perhaps questionable since provision reference discrimination critical areas institutionalization thought include penal institutions assuming true assuming proves petitioners contend congress envisio ada applied state prisoners brief petitioners context unambiguous statutory text irrelevant said fact statute situations expressly anticipated congress demonstrate ambiguity demonstrates breadth sedima imrex citation omitted conclusion text ada ambiguous causes us also reject petitioners appeal doctrine constitutional doubt requires interpret statutes avoid grave doubtful constitutional questions ex rel attorney general delaware hudson doctrine enters statute susceptible two constructions ibid reason disregard petitioners invocation statute title public services stat title statute limit plain meaning text interpretive purposes use shed light ambiguous word phrase trainmen baltimore ohio address another issue presented petitioners whether application ada state prisons constitutional exercise congress power either commerce clause compare printz garcia san antonio metropolitan transit authority fourteenth amendment see city boerne flores petitioners raise question brief see brief petitioner addressed neither district appeals petitioners raised gregory issue issues neither raised considered appeals ordinarily consider adickes kress citations omitted see also dothard rawlinson duignan decline plain text title ii ada unambiguously extends state prison inmates judgment appeals affirmed ordered