Is Jail Neglect a Widespread Problem in Texas?-Pt.4
A Woman Dies After 4 days of “Torturous Neglect” in a County Jail Continued
She was observed vomiting, lying on her face, stumbling in circles, throwing food, and engaging in other erratic behavior. There was no response by jail staff when these things happened. She was eventually, however, transferred to a medical cell, where she was still not seen by a nurse practitioner or a doctor.
One of the jail staff said that he tested her for drugs to see if she was under the influence, but the test showed there were no drugs in her system.
It was known that the woman wasn’t eating. In a 24-hour period, guards did not leave meals for her because she was not responding. But the reason for a lack of response was that her demeanor became lethargic, which evidenced the fact that her body was starting to shut down.
The lasting period of starvation led to a metabolic condition that is easily diagnosed and treated called “ketoacidosis.” When a person suffers from ketoacidosis, they are usually led to drink excessive amounts of water intake. The condition also leads to a fatally low sodium level. A urine sample had already been taken, and if they had tested it, it would have shown that there were dangerously high levels of salt and ketones.
Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and this continuing series.
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–Guest Contributor
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