As a result of the alleged mishandling and neglect with regard to providing inmates with mental health treatment and needed prescriptions, a guard at the out-of-state jail suffered a life-altering injury. The inmate responsible for inflicting the injury had been jailed for missing a court appearance in connection with a traffic charge. She reported to nurses that she suffered from multiple personality disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder. Jail records indicate that the inmate was not given medication for any of her conditions.

Nine days after her incarceration, the inmate with untreated mental health issues became violent. Jailers strapped her into a restraint chair. A nurse at the facility had put the inmate on a waiting list to get medication from the psychiatrist. A few days afterward, she saw that the inmate’s name had been removed. Colleagues later testified that the woman’s name had been deleted, along with others, so that the backlog of patients would not negatively affect the jail’s accreditation.

In the meantime, the inmate, as she later said in an interview, was suffering from explosive emotions. When a guard ordered her to step away from a water fountain and get back in line, a brawl between the two broke out. As a result of the violent scuffle, the jailer suffered nerve damage and underwent back surgery. She is no longer able to stand without a walker or cane, and she relies on workers’ compensation for her income. The former jailer blames the negligence and overall lack of attention to the inmate’s mental health needs for the physical harm done to her.

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

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–Guest Contributor