Inmates can Die from Sepsis, as Jennifer Meyers did, when Medical Needs are Ignored by Jail Staff
Jennifer Meyers was a 37-year-old woman who was serving 30 days in Macomb County Jail in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, for failure to pay child support. When she had been in the jail for 12 days, she died from sepsis. A lawsuit was filed late last year alleging that she was confined under inhumane conditions and did not have adequate monitoring or minimal observation. Fellow inmates allegedly asked repeatedly for jail staff to please get medical help for her, but their cries were ignored, according to the lawsuit.
One of the witnesses to Meyers’ condition said that she observed her sweating profusely, as though she had just exited the shower. In the days preceding her death, other inmates had to deliver her daily meals because she was in no condition to go. Fellow inmates recognized that she was in trouble. Ultimately, she allegedly died from sepsis without having received medical attention.
Sepsis is when the body has an over-reactive response to an infection. Without medical treatment at a hospital, sepsis can cause organ failure and death. The illness restricts blood flow and causes inflammation. The longer a person with sepsis fails to receive needed treatment, the greater the risk of death. Symptoms of sepsis include:
- Fever, shivering, or feeling very cold
- Extreme discomfort or pain
- Sweaty or clammy skin
- Disorientation or confusion
- High heart rate
- Shortness of breath
It’s important for jails to recognize various medical conditions such as sepsis. This is one illness in which receiving treatment is a race against time. When the medical needs of inmates are ignored, custodial deaths often occur.
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–Guest Contributor
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smchugh