Death from withdrawal in CO jail

[Griffin (OP)]

http://www.westword.com/news/jennifer-lobato-death-lawsuit-jailer-told-help-seekers-to-shut-the-f-ck-up-7435023

This lady died of dehydration due to heroin withdrawal in Jefferson county jail just a month before I was there. That jail is awful, and they give no medical care. I was luckily in another jail for the first 4 weeks of my methadone w/d after my dui the 2nd time I got arrested.

They had better medical care even though it was from the guards not a nurse which I still think is illegal.  I don't understand how they can give me 2 felonies for drug possession and for intent to distribute when a nurse is giving out meds in the jail. Controlled meds like lithium and my blood pressure medicine. They overdosed one guy on lithium while I was there and failed to give a guy insulin 2 months before I got there and he had to be flown to the hospital where they chopped his foot off and sent him back.

The first time I got arrested I was in Jefferson county jail, and the medical care was non-existent, and beyond horrible. They laughed at me when I was sick, and denied me any meds, I got ONE tylenol, that is it, and I was there for 5 days and they charged me $10 for it. That's not even the worst part

The cop who arrested me took me to a hospital on the way for a monitored drug test, and they charged me $1800 to pee in a cup in front of a nurse. I was only there for 20 minutes and it cost me $1800. It was my first time getting arrested and first time in jail, and the treatment was horrendous, I slept on one of those "mattresses" on the floor because all the bunks were taken due to over crowding.

If you have been to jail you know all about the "mattresses", and blankets that are glorified bath towels. I got nothing from the nurse there and the guards told me to suck it up and that if I didn't want to be sick I shouldn't of got arrested. I was coming off xanax and methadone at the time, and they didn't give me my blood pressure meds either. I had just gotten on MMT 2 weeks before I got arrested.

Denver county is the only county in Colorado that will give methadone treatment while you are in jail if you are on it on the outside. I am not sure if they give you a detox with it or if you get continued care. Hopefully it is not just a detox, I will have to look that up.

The second time I was in Jefferson county jail was after my methadone DUI, I had brought my blood pressure meds with me that they prescribed me at the jail in the county I was arrested. They didn't give them to me for 3 days because they had to verify my prescription even though it was in a bottle with my name on it and came from the first jail. They just don't care for anyones well being. They had the same deal going on then too $10 for an extra strength tylenol.

This is the 4th person who died in that jail in the last year. You would think that after losing 11 million dollars in a lawsuit, and having 3 other lawsuits pending for wrongful death and medical negligence that they would change their policies. Instead they kept on keeping on and killed another poor mother of 3 and now have 4 lawsuits pending. Her husband went to my MMT clinic. They arrested her over stealing a few shirts from old navy. It is so sad to think she lost her life over $30 worth of clothing.

A man named Ken Mcgill had a stroke there in 2013, and they just awarded him 11 million dollars. It took the jail over 16 hours to get him medical help. He had complained about it numerous times and fainted while he was working in the kitchen, and they did nothing. He was able to call his wife who was able to get him help from the outside. I just can't imagine going through something like that.

They would save so much money just by avoiding lawsuits if they continued peoples medication assisted treatment. They have a policy at this jail for no scheduled drugs except for meds you will die without like insulin and the only other thing you can get is psych meds that are not for depression or anxiety just for schizophrenia and the like. There was a guy who broke his arm there and after he got released from the hospital all he could have was tylenol.

By the time they are finished with the other 4 lawsuits they will probably have shelled out $50 million. I mean $11 million is probably enough to supply the jail with methadone for at least 5 years if not longer. It would save countless lives if they would just keep people on their meds. It would lower the deaths by overdose from the people who use after getting out of jail and not having a tolerance anymore.

If they were able to start people on subs or MMT in jail, and have a kind of gateway drug program that could get people started in jail and when they get out be transferred to a clinic. So many lives and a lot of money would be saved. It is sad that these people had to die and how many people have had to go through such a painful, agonizing situation. The only drug program they have is aa/na meetings once a week with a man who volunteers through a church.

I remember both times I have had to kick in jail and I have had nightmares about it. You don't forget about coming off 280 mgs of MMT cold turkey with only a few ibuprofen that shit is traumatic. I saw a lot of old people coming of pain meds and benzos. It was sad. There was one guy who was at least 85 who had to keep walking the whole day just to stay warm because they have their ac running in the middle of the winter. I really thought he was going to die.

My point is how many people have to die before they get the point. I know they don't care about people but you would think that losing their all-mighty money would spark some change, even if it is coming out of our pocket. This is happening nationwide, and very little is being done about it. You would think this is common sense but I swear the c/o's get off on watching people suffer to death(literally). There are some judges too who get joy knowing the person they are condemning to be caged are in w/d.

I would hate to see how many people have died in the whole country due to withdrawal, or complications of withdrawal including suicide. Hopefully this does bring some change but I am not holding my breath. I pray everyone stays out of handcuffs and out of jail. There is still a lot of hate and stigma with methadone,

I see clinics barred from opening due to the people who live in the city petitioning it. It's a fact that crime goes down when a clinic starts up. That is why there is a 3 month wait at every single clinic in denver and colorado springs right now. There are people who are willing to drive 5 hours round trip every day to get on methadone because there are no open spots available near them and they need help and want to get into recovery.

Instead they are SOL because stupid people petition to stop clinics from opening like what is happening in monument colorado. The city approved it so the company that is trying to start the clinic bought the land and property, and got all its permits. Then all of sudden all the idiots of Monument, Colorado freak out about it because the building is across the street from a park.

They protested it until the city council decided to stop them from opening after the company had already been told they could open at the location and spent millions of dollars to get it started. You would think about how upset these people are about people getting into recovery that methadone killed their kids... and their pets.
http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Hundreds-Gather-to-Protest-Methadone-Clinic-in-Monument-314803171.html

[Griffin (OP)]

http://www.westword.com/news/christopher-lopez-3m-in-death-of-man-whose-jailers-joked-and-laughed-as-he-slowly-died-6053839

This is another story of a guy who died in colorado from negligence. This is hard to read, I couldn't watch the video is it horrible. They basically sat around while he laid lifeless, and then put him in a restraint chair with a spit mask on because he wasn't moving and to them that is not following orders. Then the nurse comes by and gives him a shot in his ass, because he wouldn't stand up or move to come take his meds.

The guy was mentally ill, and they watched him die and did nothing. I can't believe those assholes and that nurse didn't get charged with negligent homicide. I guess when you work for the government you are above the law. It was clearly homicide or murder, and they should all get life sentences for this shit, it is so sad. How can they do that to someone, especially someone who is mentally ill. Mass incarceration has caused another senseless death.

The guy should of never been in prison, he was extremely mentally ill, and had schizophrenia. He was in prison because he got 2 years for trespassing, while homeless, and when he was in prison he had a psychotic episode where he "attacked" a guard. So they charged him for that and gave him 4 more years and that is when they let him die. He should of been in a mental hospital is is so sad that we now keep the mentally ill in prison instead of hospitals. A huge percent of people in prison are mentally ill.

[Guts]

Fuck the police.

[Wildcat]

Griffin-

I still don't get how you got a dui? were you driving irradically? just because you are on mmt they charged you with a dui? I know you said they took you to a hospital for a blood drug test, just because it was in your system they called it dui ??

Does not sound legal. Shit, I have fent in my system 24/7(oxy too).

Seems like you should be able to have it thrown out of court!!!

The dmv wrote to my doc(because I have a disabled plaque on file) and inquired what meds I take and if he deemed me safe to drive on his prescribed dose-to which he replied yes, along with an explanation about tolerance.

[DeadCat]

Griffin-

I still don't get how you got a dui? were you driving irradically? just because you are on mmt they charged you with a dui? I know you said they took you to a hospital for a blood drug test, just because it was in your system they called it dui ??

Does not sound legal. Shit, I have fent in my system 24/7(oxy too).

Seems like you should be able to have it thrown out of court!!!

The dmv wrote to my doc(because I have a disabled plaque on file) and inquired what meds I take and if he deemed me safe to drive on his prescribed dose-to which he replied yes, along with an explanation about tolerance.

The case I recently fought was similar. It took a hired attorney and my doctor willing to testify to get it knocked down to a "Careless Driving." I pled to that even though my attorney thought we could win outright I didn't trust a jury to understand the difference between residual amounts of Ativan in my system and effective amounts.

My impression is that the DUI laws have made it so easy to get a conviction that prosecutors just expect everyone charged to roll over. There aren't agreed on (standardized) blood concentrations for all the drugs that could possibly interfere with your driving so the drug tests are just pass/fail. Add cop as a "Drug Recognition Expert" testifying against you and the state's "burden of proof (of guilt) becomes the defendat's burden to prove innocence. Plus once you spend a shitty month in w/d in a jail cell and any deal that gets you out looks appealing, regardless of it being a worse deal in the long term.

If I were using a clinic I'd get a letter from my doctor explaining that while I may test positive for methadone it should not affect your driving and keep it with my car's registration and insurance (but don't volunteer it of course).

[Griffin (OP)]

Pretty much what deadcat said, I was driving to visit family in another state, and had been up sense about 530 that morning, which was when I took my dose. I worked 8 hours and got on the road about 5 pm. It 9 pm I was pulled over for "veering" the cop said I wasn't crossing the lines but I was going from one side of the lane to the other. When I got pulled over he was asking questions asking if I was drunk or intoxicated, and I said no.

I was on probation and that means that even if they don't have any reason to search me any cop, or po can search me at anytime for no reason. When he did he found my lockbox of take-homes for the trip. He got me out of the cop car and had me to a sobriety test, and stupidly I said yes, thinking I could pass. I couldn't stand on one leg with my eyes closed and count to 20 with out swaying to one side for balance.

They took me in and gave me a blood test, if you don't take the blood or breathalyzer test they can take you license for 1 year here regardless if they charge you or not or if you don't get convicted. I was thinking since I only have done in my system I would be fine especially sense by the time I took the test it had been 16+ hours since I dosed. They don't test for levels of drugs and don't have certain amounts that count as intoxicated like with alcohol, or weed.

Since I had methadone in my system it was a dui, and even though I had a note from my doctor saying I had been stable on the same dose for 18 months and it shouldn't affect my driving, I had a public defender with 1000+ cases going on at the time. He was awful, I was charged with felony intent to distribute and felony possession for having my anxiety meds and blood pressure meds in the same bottle, and I had just filled them so they were both 30 days supplies.

The best deal I could get was a DUI and misdemeanor possession with the pub. defender even though I had prescriptions for all my meds having the anxiety meds in the wrong bottle made it possession. I had to kick 280 mgs of done a day c/t in jail and was still sick when I got out 30 days later.

I had to explain to my pub. defender that they couldn't charge me with intent to distribute because I had less than 7 grams which is what the statute for the law is. He didn't know and thought I was guilty because I couldn't my prescriptions until I got out of jail. I have no family in this state and couldn't get bailed out so I had to get P.R. bonds(personal recognizance) in 2 counties to get out. My bail was originally $10,000.

So even with a note from the doctor and a list of all my prescriptions the best deal I could get without taking it to trial was misdemeanor possession and DUI. The first deal they gave me was 2-8 years DOC and I have never been to prison and definitely didn't want to go. My public defender was an idiot who didn't fight for me I had to get all the info myself and basically tell him how to fight my case.

I basically got railroaded, the way the law is written if you have anything in your system including otc meds like benedryl and fail the roadside test they can give you a dui. It doesn't matter if you took it 2 or 3 days ago if it's in your system then they can charge you and if you can't get a real lawyer your chances of getting off are not great. If I wouldn't of been on probation, they couldn't of searched my car or open my lockbox I probably wouldn't of been charged or asked to do a roadside test.

I got 18 months of probation and I had one month left of an 18 month probation sentence from 2013 which was also bs i got a harassment charge for calling with purpose or intent of actual conversation when the girl I was breaking up with was crying at her job and there was a cop there who asked her why she was crying she told him and he asked her if she wanted him to check on me.

She didn't think I would get arrested and when I did, she left her work and came and pleaded and screamed at the cops to let me off and to not arrest me, she did the same thing in court but the judge told her that it didn't matter what she said because it was the state pressing charges not her.

I was extremely sick, and it was my first time being in jail so I stupidly took the first plea deal they gave me, I should of never got arrested for that, but that is exactly how the law is written. You can get charged for calling some one to early or late in the day, or calling someone to many times, or sending multiple messages via phone or facebook. Every lawyer I have talked to said they could of gotten me off because it goes against the first amendment since I was threatening her.

So I had one month left of that sentence when I got arrested again and they gave me 18 months more of probation, $4000+ in fines, I have to take 12 hours of dui classes, do 48 hours of community service, one UA a month, and see my PO once a month. The dmv also my license suspended for 9 months.

I was able to get a restricted license after a month since I got a breathalyzer in my car which costs a little more than $90 a month. I had to take my written and driving test to get the restricted license. I just got a ticket for having my car parked in front of my house because my plates were expired. I am supposed to get my breathalyzer out next month but the agreement was that to get it out early I can't get any tickets so I have to have a hearing at the dmv to see if I will have to keep it another 9 months.

so the gist of the story is the government has had its way with me for the last 2 years. The first time I was arrested when I got released(in this state which I still can't legally leave even though I have no family here)November All I had was a pair of jeans, a t shirt, and a hoodie and it was snowing when they let me out at 8 pm with a one way bus ticket. I had no phone, no money, no bank account, and no place to go.

Everything single thing I owned was taken from me to another state literally everything including my dog(which was given back to my father luckily). This time I just lost my apartment, car, job, and my financial aid. I am praying now that I get my financial aid and can start school in 2 weeks, and find a better job, I found a place to live and got my car back after 5 weeks. I fought the law and law won.

[thetalkingasshole]

Holy fuck Griffin

I think the best course of action for some change, in more than one sense
would be a class-actuon lawsuit
considering how many other people routinely experience this from your description
I think its not just the right ting to do, but also a necessary one

Going and protesting in front of jails or prisons seems to me like very bad idea
and this is coming from someone who has smoked a blunt with xanax oxy and crack in it
most people feel no sympathy for "criminals"regardless of your charge
tack on drug addict and now you have approximately one person left in the world to look after your interest
and that is yourself

[Griffin (OP)]

Yeah I don't think I'd have the courage to protest outside of a jail regardless of the cause. It's just to close for comfort all they have to do is take a pic and throw a wrist band on to make you a new resident. Hopefully all these people get a ton of money in lawsuits. It is so sad how many people have died senselessly from getting arrested over some bs, or from idiotic co's.

I just read a story about a bunch of different people that got injured or were victims of the stupid policies and people in law enforcement and "corrections". It is awful how much people are put through for being "criminals'.. It is so stupid that I have to keep using quotation marks for it to make sense.

Here is that story for you avid readers who like to read what is going on in the Denver criminal justice system.
http://www.westword.com/news/15-shocking-denver-brutality-incidents-from-the-marvin-booker-lawsuit-6052716


I pray we see some change soon, I guess we will just have to have more people incarcerated then people on the outside before any changes comes about. Unfortunately we are probably only a few years from that. I wonder how big the percentage is for people who have been arrested in the united states.

I read one statistic when I was researching a paper that said 13% of african american males that are of voting age have a felony. African-Americans make up 39% of the prison population but only 13% of the U.S. population. If anyone who doubts that racism isn't still very alive. I guess if you are racist all that says if that African-Americans are just bigger criminals which if you know white people that definitely is not the case. White people are fucking crazy.(I am white so I can say that because I've seen it)