Category: Custodial Death|Lawsuits

A federal wrongful death lawsuit was filed against CoreCivic, Inc. on March 5, 2018, in connection with the August 2016 death of Alfredo D. McCowan while he was incarcerated at Bradshaw State Jail in Rusk County, Texas. CoreCivic operates Bradshaw State Jail.

McCowan’s surviving family members claim that the defendant failed to keep illegal drugs off of the premises, where he was a prisoner. In an original petition, the death of 43-year-old McCowan was associated with synthetic marijuana use. The estate of the deceased seeks monetary damages in an unspecified amount.

Correction Corp. of America (CCA) is a name CoreCivic was formerly known as. CoreCivic is reportedly the largest private prison company in the U.S. In locations across the country, the company has had numerous accusations of prisoner abuse and violence. After 30 years of operation, CoreCivic houses more than 70,000 inmates and runs 70-plus prisons.

CCA was founded in 1983 and is credited with being the first to come up with a proposal for-profit prisons. In 1984, the company was awarded the contract to run the nation’s first private prison, which was a juvenile detention center and jail in Tennessee.

During the growing portfolio of correctional institutions, reports of neglect, abuse, and violence were ongoing. Eventually, CCA rebranded with a new name, CoreCivic, and explored less controversial reentry programs, such as halfway houses.

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U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison of Houston ordered the Texas prison system to provide at-risk inmates of Pack Unit in Navasota, Texas, with air conditioning. State officials opted instead to move those inmates to an air-conditioned facility in another prison. Ellison is now set to rule on a lawsuit filed last week regarding the death of inmate Quintero Jones, who allegedly died of heat-related distress.

Only July 31, 2015, Jones was incarcerated at McConnell Unit in Beeville, Texas. It is un-air-conditioned, as most Texas prisons are. A prison guard allegedly took Jones’ asthma pump away from him that morning, and he was supposed to have it on his person at all times. The lawsuit filed by the family alleges that the heat index inside the prison that day was almost 110 degrees. Inmates who witnessed events surrounding Jones’ death wrote letters claiming that Jones suffered and begged for his inhaler for hours before dying.

Jones’ family is suing the Texas prison system as well as several prison officials and doctors in their lawsuit.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) does not list Jones’ death as being heat-related. Their records indicate that since 1998, 23 inmates in the Texas prison system have died of heat stroke. Research by Dallas news outlet WFAA shows that, since 2005, 21 inmates in Texas prisons died in asthma-related incidents. They also claim that about 23 inmates have died of heat-related causes in Texas prisons in just the past 10 years.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor