Sadly, Ruthie Jean Fisk died on April 6, 2022, although lifesaving measures were initiated and continued until emergency medical services (EMS) arrived and took over the effort. Ms. Fisk had been an inmate of Lubbock County Jail in Lubbock, Texas, from April 1, 2022, until the time of her death. She died of natural causes. The medical cause of death was hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with congestive heart failure.

A 28-Year-Old Texas Inmate Dies of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in 2022

A Texas county jail was cited for noncompliance with minimum jail standards after a 28-year-old inmate died of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It has been verified with a photo that the young man arrived at the jail with the insulin and needles needed to treat his diabetes.

The jail records confirmed that, although the medication was received at intake, the inmate was never given insulin in the jail. He died 5 days after arriving at the jail. The following is the rule the jail was cited for allegedly violating.

Rule §273.2 (12) – Health Services Plan. Provide procedures that shall require that a qualified medical professional shall review as soon as possible any prescription medication an inmate is taking when the inmate is taken into custody. These procedures shall include providing each prescription medication that a qualified medical professional or mental health professional determines is necessary for the care, treatment, or stabilization of an inmate with mental illness.

• The TCJS inspector said that documentation reviewed after a custodial death revealed that the insulin had been reviewed, ordered, and provided while the inmate was in intake. However, it had not been reviewed, ordered, and provided once the inmate was housed.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series.

Helping Texas jail detainees and their families with resources is one of the purposes of this website. There is no intention of suggesting that people or organizations have been involved in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor