PORTLAND (AP) — A Maine prison inmate has filed notice of a lawsuit against the state and the state prison in Windham because he was pepper-sprayed while restrained and left to suffer for more than 20 minutes.

Paul Schlosser III, serving seven years for robbery, is currently at the prison in Warren, where his attorney says he can obtain better mental health treatment.

In the notice of claim filed Nov. 12, Schlosser’s attorney, C. Donald Briggs III, said he represents Schlosser in connection with the June 2012 spraying and asks that the matter be referred to the state’s insurance company. The notice is not a lawsuit, but preserves Schlosser’s right to sue.

A prisons spokeswoman told The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/1dUpLvq) the department has changed a number of policies since Schlosser’s situation.