A 23-year-old inmate in a jail outside Texas died in his jail cell, and another inmate reported that the man had cried out for help for days but was denied medical assistance. The 19-year-old man in the cell across from the deceased was determined to get help for him if at all possible. In his concern that the man would die, the 19-year-old even got the name of his fellow inmate’s mother and shared it on a call with his mom.

The following are among the accusations that the inmate and his mother made against the jail in connection with the deceased:

• The man began to have medical problems. He claimed that he needed dialysis and that he felt he was going to die. These cries were made repeatedly.
• After three days, the inmate seemed to lose all functionality. The man would crawl to cry for help at the cell door, and the jailers would simply walk by and ignore the cries.
• The inmate’s mother said that as her son was begging for help for the other inmate, she heard the nurse’s voice expressing a lack of regard for what was happening.
• After the deceased was removed from suicide watch, according to the inmate, he was given clothes and a blanket and continued crying for help except that he was quieter.
• After this, a jailer noticed that the deceased was blue. Attempts were made to resuscitate him but he had died.
• The inmate claims that the deceased was on the floor in front of his cell from 10 pm to 2 am.

According to the Sheriff’s office, the claims of the inmate regarding the deceased are lies, though the mother of the deceased also offered claims of her own. She said that her son was not provided with the medications he needed while he was in jail. Also, she says he did not receive the dialysis required three times weekly for his kidney condition. The medical staff at the privately-owned company that provides healthcare to the jail’s inmates said that the treatment of the deceased was a “medical decision.”

Denial of medical care in jails is one of the leading concerns in the state of Texas, based on the number of complaints received annually. Inmates have a right to receive the health care they need while incarcerated.

All posts on this site are intended to help inmates in Texas. It is never intended to infer that a person or entity has engaged in improprieties of any kind.

–Guest Contributor