A story that was released earlier this year is about a man in a county jail outside of Texas who died of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in 2021. Anytime an inmate dies of DKA, there should be an investigation. That’s because the condition is preventable. Individuals who need insulin will not progress to DKA if they are simply administered the insulin they need.

The inmate, who we will call Inmate Smith, allegedly showed evidence of suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis for three days yet was not taken to a hospital or provided with insulin. There is a photograph inside the jail that shows Inmate Smith in a weakened condition in a room with six deputies from the county jail.

Further evidence from those three days shows that Inmate Smith was exhibiting symptoms of DKA. It appears that the jail denied necessary medical care. Claims are that their indifference and negligence are what led to the death of Inmate Smith on the third day in which he showed symptoms of DKA.

The only medication he received during his six days in the jail was a shot of insulin two hours before he died. At that point, it is safe to assume that the inmate’s health had deteriorated significantly, which is normal because of the effects that DKA has on the human body.

Learn more in this continuing series.

Providing assistance to detainees now or formerly incarcerated in a city or county jail in Texas is one of the purposes of this website. There is never any intention of implicating any person or institution in acts of wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor