Restraint Chairs Linked to 20 Deaths in a 6-Year Period Continued

The investigation found nine instances when inmates were beaten, pepper sprayed, or tasered while strapped in a restraint chair. In one case, an inmate was found dead in a restraint chair. He had suffered from blunt force trauma to his side which caused internal bleeding, three ribs to be fractured, and death.

Federal investigators found that jail staff had used the restraint chair as a form of punishment. Inmates, some of whom were known to be suicidal, were placed in a chair where anyone walking by could see that their genitals were exposed.  

Another case was uncovered in which an inmate became agitated. Members of the jail staff handcuffed him by his wrists and ankles to a restraint chair. The inmate told about being force-fed, called the n-word, and denied access to bathroom facilities. For several days, he was forced to defecate and urinate on himself.

One man says that after he attempted suicide he was placed in the restraint chair for 28 days. A woman said she was put in the chair for a misdemeanor. She told the watchdog group that the jail staff would watch the inmates have seizures and vomit on themselves while strapped in the restraint chair. Reports found that people have been placed in the restraint chair and died from choking on their own vomit.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6 of this ongoing series.

Helping inmates with helpful resources is the purpose of this website. There is no intention of suggesting that people or organizations have been involved in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor