$1.8 Million Award in Illinois Federal Prisoner’s Suicide
An Illinois federal district court awarded $1.8 million to the estate of a pretrial detainee who committed suicide at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC).
The evidence before The Court showed that Bob Johnson was incarcerated from December 1, 19992, until his suicide on June 7, 1993; “He was a loner who frequently kept to himself; he was anxious and depressed over his current and future state; he regularly scratched his body and developed open, bleeding sores by doing so; he had problems with sleep and often slept during the day; he had trouble keeping roommates; his hygiene was poor.”
The night before his suicide, Johnson’s roommate submitted a sick call form requesting Jonson see a “psychologist or psychiatrist.” The next day, he saw a physician’s assistant who did not review the sick call form, which detailed Johnson’s sores from a nervous problem, nor did she physically examine Johnson. In response to his request for medication, she told him to have his unit officer to refer his to a psychologist.
The action, the court found [n]ot only was [ ] insufficient, it did not conform to the MCC policies.” The evidence also showed the unit guards were well aware of Johnson’s condition and situation, but they took no action to obtain proper medical or mental health care for him.
In a March 29, 2000, order, The Court awarded the estate $1.8 million. The estate was represented by attorney Patricia C. Bobb of Chicago. See: Jutzi-Johnson v. U.S., USDC, N.D. Illinois, Case No 96-C-5708.
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