Around 11 million people will be jailed on a given year in the United States, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. At this very moment, over 700,000 people are locked up in our jail system, the majority of which have not been convicted of a crime. This is just one of the many reasons that the incredibly poor conditions of the United States’ jails should be a major concern for Americans.
Our jail system is plagued with many significant problems, including the neglect, abuse and wrongful death of incarcerated citizens. If you or a loved one has been the victim of jail abuse or neglect, contact Dan Carman and Attorneys. We fight for the rights of our clients to ensure they receive the justice that they deserve.
Types of Jail Abuse and Neglect
- Medical Neglect – When an inmate has a medical condition, the facility has a responsibility to respond to their needs. Failure to do so can have disastrous results to a person’s health and lead to a number of complications, including death.
- Mental Health Neglect – Jails must also pay close attention to the mental state of those they incarcerate. For example, anyone who shows signs of being suicidal is in need of help and must be monitored in order to prevent them from taking their own life.
- Overuse of Force – Violence toward a prisoner might come from staff or from other inmates. Overuse of force or brutality toward inmates can result in costly and debilitating injuries.
- Sexual Abuse – Around 10 percent of prisoners in the United States suffer sexual abuse every year, including our jail population. Sexual assault can be suffered by male and female prisoners, and may be perpetrated by either staff or other inmates.
- Wrongful Death – Over 900 people die in local jails every year, based on figures from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Suicide, which accounts for roughly one third of all jail deaths, is the leading cause of death in our jail system. From 2009 to 2015, more than 150 died in local Kentucky jails, the causes of which were ambiguously listed by the Department of Corrections, according to a report from Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
Who is Responsible?
If an inmate suffers neglect, abuse or wrongful death while in jail, the fault can be that of the facility itself, the administrators or the member of the staff who was directly responsible for the inmate at the time. In some cases, the fault might be shared by multiple parties. Dan Carman and Attorneys will investigate the circumstances surrounding the abuse to find out who was responsible.
Though inmates don’t enjoy the same rights as they did prior to incarceration, they are still guaranteed many of the most fundamental of liberties, including the right to free speech, the right to religious practice and the right to access the courts and their own counsel. They are also protected by the U.S. Constitution from cruel and unusual punishment. It’s important to remember that these rights are constantly being fought for, and that most prison reform advocates agree that rights of prisoners are not being upheld in our current system.
Dan Carman and Attorneys are dedicated to helping those who have suffered abuse and neglect while in jail. If you or your loved one has been the victim of abuse while incarcerated, contact any of our Kentucky jail neglect and abuse attorneys.