The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) is not the only entity facing complaints about inmate medical care in county jails. An Ohio county jail has recently faced accusations of denial of medical care that were published in local tabloids.

Allegations of Medical Negligence in a County Jail Outside Texas

Inmate complaints of medical negligence have come against a county jail in Ohio, and they serve as examples of issues that inmates across the U.S. may currently suffer. Deliberate indifference to inmates’ medical needs and denial of medical treatment are among the claims mentioned in a recent exposé.

A 48-year-old inmate in the jail was heard by other inmates as he repeatedly cried out in pain. Witnesses allegedly heard the man beg not to let him die in the jail. The father of seven children was in the jail for only one week before he died, and family members say his death could have been avoided if he had received appropriate medical care.

For instance, on day three of incarceration, blood was found in his urine. He complained of severe pain, and he was reportedly told by the jail staff to continue drinking fluids.

Meanwhile, the man said in a phone call that he needed to go to a hospital because he was dying.

On day six, the man struggled to breathe. In spite of various worsening symptoms, there was no referral for advanced treatment. That night, several of his fellow inmates joined in demanding help for the man by banging on their doors and ringing intercom buzzers.

Tragically, on day seven he was discovered unresponsive in his cell, transported by ambulance to a hospital, and pronounced deceased the following day.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and this ongoing series.

The intention when posting on this website is to help inmates or have been incarcerated in a municipal or county jail in Texas. There is no intention on this site of making accusations of wrongdoing against people or entities.

–Guest Contributor