I remember when Beverly wrote me about her husband, and how sick and sad I felt when I learned her husband Lisandro had died in that jail. She had also written the Commission on Jail Standards and they were no help either. Here is what she said back in 2010:

“I wrote you about my husband to you over a month ago, he died due to lack of medical care. . . his name was Lisandro Torres and we have a 16 yr old son. The jail maintained until his death he was faking after a massive stroke and was having problems breathing, chest pain, could’nt swallow and was tormented by several jailers and nurses. Nobody would listen and still wont but he sent me the proof three weeks before he died and over 100 letters {about what was happening.]”

Now this excellent story announces the lawsuit filed by Beverly and her son. I can only hope the justice system gives their case a fair shake. Lisandro Torres and his family deserve some justice, finally.

In our county jails, medical care is often worse or non-existent,  but they didn’t cover jails in this report! Prisoners’ Right to Medical Care in Texas Important point from the report, “Prisoners’ Right to Medical Care under the U.S. Constitution “ “The Supreme Court, in Estelle v. Gamble, established “the government’s obligation to provide medical care
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I would like to thank Diane and Diana and the Texas Jail Project for coming to Abilene and showing the medical neglect and mistreatment of inmates in the Taylor County Jail. She listened to our stories when everyone else had a dead ear.

Iraqi veteran Adan Castaneda sat in the Comal County Jail in an isolation or ad seg cell for more than six months without any treatment for his mental illness. There is no way to know how that affected his condition; however, he has been moved and is receiving treatment finally, after his family’s persistent efforts and with the assistance of generous attorneys. See the San Antonio Current story about him here. . .

9/24/2011 4:28 PM By John Suayan, Galveston Bureau GALVESTON – A paralyzed inmate with Texas Department of Criminal Justice alleges his rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act have been violated since he was first incarcerated. In a $2 million lawsuit filed Sept. 16 in the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas, Donald Ray
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A death in the Orange County jail infirmary reveals possible medical neglect. Texas Jail Project wishes the inmates who witnessed this man’s death would contact us (EMAIL diana@texasjailproject.org or CALL 512 597 8746)
The way an Orangefield man died in the Orange County jail last week, isn’t sitting well with a Beaumont man tonight.

This article points to shocking negligence of incarcerated women who find themselves pregnant – and not just in Texas. Rachel Roth precisely describes the many ways jail staff fail to recognize and deal with women’s special needs, especially when they ignore signs of labor which leads “to women giving birth locked in their cells without any assistance.” See the remarkably forthright Texan Lisa Mijares, who stepped up at a prayer vigil in Abilene to describe what she endured giving birth in her cell after begging for help: http://www.texasjailproject.org/2010/10/lisa-gave-birth-alone-in-taylor-county-cell/

The Gomez family joined demonstrators at Occupy E Paso because they said that their father, a a U.S. citizen, is not receiving necessary treatment for his kidney condition and has lost some 100 pounds while in the Otero County Jail. According to he U.S. Marshals, Samuel Gomez is getting all the care he needs. Texas Jail Project asks the Gomez family to email diana@texasjailproject.org . . . . .

In this article by Alex Horvath, we see that more and moref people are DYING in county jails – and not just in Texas. But because Texas has so many county jails with so many inmates, the numbers here are depressingly high. While some would have died anyway, many die directly as a result of poor care and neglect. Texans can change this by asking more questions and paying attention to the way their county is running their jail. Churches and civic groups and even indicviduals can promote programs and activities to change the jails from isolated incubators of illness and more crime.

“This comes as the United Nations released a report in early June, confirming allegations of serious rights violations that women face inside American prisons and other correctional facilities. “Inadequate access to health services in prison and detention facilities is characterized by delays, neglect, and mistreatment of inmates and detainees,” the UN report said.”