Is Jail Neglect a Widespread Problem in Texas?-Pt.3
Americans Die in Jail Having Never Been Convicted of a Crime
When you think about the conditions in a jail, it’s easier to see how horrible jail neglect might be when you remember that not everyone arrested and jailed is guilty of a crime. Any person may be arrested at any time because of being falsely accused of a crime, perhaps because of mistaken identity.
In 2021, it was discovered through a Reuters investigation that more than 7,500 people in the U.S. died in jail in the preceding decade and that two-thirds of those deceased detainees in county and municipal jails had never been convicted of a crime.
It has been said that the most severe and irreversible type of constitutional abuse is for a person to be deprived of life in jail, having never received due process. Watchdog groups assert that a profound lack of interest has been shown by every level of government as far as disclosing how frequently and why detainees in jails die.
A Woman Dies After 4 days of “Torturous Neglect” in a County Jail
Many people in years past have died while briefly incarcerated. They became seriously ill, and proper medical attention was not provided. This seems to have been the situation in a Seattle jail, where a mentally ill woman was incarcerated.
Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and this continuing series.
Providing municipal and county jail detainees in Texas with helpful resources is one of this website’s purposes. Suggesting that a person or entity has engaged in wrongdoing is never intended.
–Guest Contributor
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