Latest news with #Wellpath
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Settlement reached after Santa Rita Jail inmate Maurice Monk left dead in cell
(KRON) — Santa Rita Jail's inmate healthcare provider agreed to pay $2.5 million to the children of Maurice Monk, attorneys announced Thursday. The inmate was allegedly deceased inside his jail cell for three days before any sheriff's deputies or health workers noticed in November of 2021. The 45-year-old inmate's worsening mental and physical condition went ignored as he lay face‑down on his bunk. Wellpath nurses continued tossing paper cups with medications into the cell, despite all of Monk's meals and medications remaining untouched, attorneys said. When five Alameda County Sheriff's deputies finally unlocked and entered the cell, one asked, 'Monk, how ya doing buddy?' body camera video shows. 'Monk, Monk, Monk. Are you alright?' the deputy asks the lifeless inmate. They dragged the body off of his bunk and called for a nurse before Monk was pronounced deceased. The Alameda County jail's healthcare provider, Wellpath, is resolving a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Monk's family by paying the $2.5 million settlement, attorneys said. 'This is an admission by the people who are paid millions of taxpayer dollars that they failed to protect and ensure the health and well-being of a man whose life was entirely in their hands,' said civil rights attorney Adanté Pointer, of Oakland-based Pointer & Buelna, Lawyers For The People. In 2023, Alameda County agreed to a $7 million settlement for deputies' roles in Monk's death. In 2021, Monk was arrested for refusing to wear a mask and arguing on a public AC Transit bus during the COVID pandemic. He was booked into jail because he had a warrant for missing a court date, and he couldn't afford to post $2,500 bail. The inmate required medications for diabetes and schizoaffective disorder. Bodycam videos recorded by sheriff's deputies were released after the federal civil rights lawsuit was filed. Deputies who stood at Monk's cell door initially dismissed his unresponsive behavior as 'Monk being Monk,' attorneys said. Monk's family sued several Wellpath nurses and a physician's assistant who never intervened to help him. Wellpath is a private prison health care company with a troubling track record. Attorneys said 68 men have died in Santa Rita Jail custody since 2014, making it one of the deadliest jails in the country. 'Maurice Monk's children will receive some justice for the needless death of their father,' said civil rights attorney Ty Clarke, also of Pointer & Buelna. 'There is simply no excuse for any medical professionals, no matter the setting, to neglect their primary duties.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
An audit of the Milwaukee County Jail found problems. What progress has been made since then?
Milwaukee County has taken steps to improve conditions at its jail, including ending the use of unsafe restraint practices and updating suicide prevention protocols, according to a recently released report from an outside evaluator. The progress report was a follow-up to an audit commissioned by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and prompted by six in-custody deaths between 2022 and 2023, including two confirmed suicides. The original audit, dated October 2024, was critical of the jail conditions. It found suicide watch practices termed "dangerous," challenges administering mental health care, poor leadership oversight and an ongoing critical staffing shortage and inmate crowding. The new report, dated May 20, provided an update on progress made between January and April of this year. Here's what to know about the final report: Texas-based firm Creative Corrections produced the audit and the 47-page final report. The report was a "collaborative effort" between the company, the jail and Wellpath, which is the health care provider in the jail, the report says. The key areas of concern were security, training, safety, food service, facility maintenance, occupant handbook information, medical services, mental health and communication with other county departments. The report found "measurable and meaningful progress" in addressing problems that had been identified in the original report. "Key improvements include the elimination of unsafe restraint practices, updated suicide prevention protocols, strengthened supervision, improved compliance reviews, and targeted mental health and suicide awareness training," the report states. About 71% of the 52 actionable items identified in the corrective action plan had been fully resolved while the remaining 29% are partially compliant and being addressed, according to the report. Areas of concern that are only partially compliant include: Removing bench restraints. Adding holding cells. Funding new protective gear and less-lethal munitions for jail staff. Less-lethal munitions typically refers to pepper spray and similar law enforcement tools. Upgrading suicide watch cells. Posting daily food menus in housing units and on occupants' tablets. Removing all graffiti. Filling certain positions to ensure around-the-clock mental health coverage. Auditors remain confident the jail will continue to improve — "provided that appropriate structural and fiscal support remains in place," the report says. They specifically emphasized the need for continued funding and support for infrastructure changes, such as renovations to the cells. The report also found that the county could move faster to reduce overcrowding and improve conditions of confinement by expanding the Community Reintegration Center's acceptance criteria to include pretrial female occupants. Yes. Monitoring by the state's Department of Corrections Office of Detention Facilities and court monitoring under the Christensen Consent Decree will continue, according to a memo from county Director of Audits Jennifer Folliard Folliard. Medical care at the jail and the Community Reintegration Center will continue to be monitored by NCCHC Resources, she wrote. Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County Jail conditions improve since audit but work remains
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
An audit of the Milwaukee County Jail found problems. What progress has been made since then?
Milwaukee County has taken steps to improve conditions at its jail, including ending the use of unsafe restraint practices and updating suicide prevention protocols, according to a recently released report from an outside evaluator. The progress report was a follow-up to an audit commissioned by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and prompted by six in-custody deaths between 2022 and 2023, including two confirmed suicides. The original audit, dated October 2024, was critical of the jail conditions. It found suicide watch practices termed "dangerous," challenges administering mental health care, poor leadership oversight and an ongoing critical staffing shortage and inmate crowding. The new report, dated May 20, provided an update on progress made between January and April of this year. Here's what to know about the final report: Texas-based firm Creative Corrections produced the audit and the 47-page final report. The report was a "collaborative effort" between the company, the jail and Wellpath, which is the health care provider in the jail, the report says. The key areas of concern were security, training, safety, food service, facility maintenance, occupant handbook information, medical services, mental health and communication with other county departments. The report found "measurable and meaningful progress" in addressing problems that had been identified in the original report. "Key improvements include the elimination of unsafe restraint practices, updated suicide prevention protocols, strengthened supervision, improved compliance reviews, and targeted mental health and suicide awareness training," the report states. About 71% of the 52 actionable items identified in the corrective action plan had been fully resolved while the remaining 29% are partially compliant and being addressed, according to the report. Areas of concern that are only partially compliant include: Removing bench restraints. Adding holding cells. Funding new protective gear and less-lethal munitions for jail staff. Less-lethal munitions typically refers to pepper spray and similar law enforcement tools. Upgrading suicide watch cells. Posting daily food menus in housing units and on occupants' tablets. Removing all graffiti. Filling certain positions to ensure around-the-clock mental health coverage. Auditors remain confident the jail will continue to improve — "provided that appropriate structural and fiscal support remains in place," the report says. They specifically emphasized the need for continued funding and support for infrastructure changes, such as renovations to the cells. The report also found that the county could move faster to reduce overcrowding and improve conditions of confinement by expanding the Community Reintegration Center's acceptance criteria to include pretrial female occupants. Yes. Monitoring by the state's Department of Corrections Office of Detention Facilities and court monitoring under the Christensen Consent Decree will continue, according to a memo from county Director of Audits Jennifer Folliard Folliard. Medical care at the jail and the Community Reintegration Center will continue to be monitored by NCCHC Resources, she wrote. Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County Jail conditions improve since audit but work remains
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Advocates demand ousting Wellpath from Santa Rita Jail
(KRON) — Maurice Monk was arrested for refusing to wear a mask and arguing on a public AC Transit bus during the COVID pandemic. The 45-year-old man had a warrant for missing a court date, and he couldn't afford to post $2,500 bail. Monk died in his Santa Rita Jail cell on Nov. 15, 2021. The inmate was deceased for three days before any deputies or health workers in the jail noticed, according to attorneys. Social justice advocates with Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails (ICJJ) are calling on the county to replace Wellpath, the provider of medical services at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Wellpath, a private prison health care company, has a troubling track record at Alameda County's jail. 'Sixty-eight men have died in custody since 2014, including 11 since Monk died, making Santa Rita Jail one of the deadliest jails in the country,' attorneys with Pointer & Buelna, LLP, Lawyers for the People wrote. Santa Rita Jail inmate died after guzzling water, Sheriff's Office says Monk, who had diabetes and schizoaffective disorder, was denied medical care behind bars, according to attorney Adante Pointer. A Wellpath nurse is among 11 Santa Rita Jail staff members who are currently facing criminal charges for Monk's in-custody death. Seven Alameda County sheriff's deputies were also charged. Advocates with ICJJ wrote, 'Every report card on Wellpath's care at Santa Rita has come back with devastatingly low marks. Wellpath has been the medical care provider in Santa Rita jail since 2016. The company is owned by a global investment firm and provides healthcare in 34 of California's 56 county jails. Over 1,500 lawsuits have been filed nationwide against Wellpath, and the company's recent bankruptcy filing will prevent affected families from receiving justice.' Woman dies in Santa Rita Jail after just two days in custody Three days of prescription medication and food had been thrown through the slot of his door and accumulated on the floor of Monk's cell, according to ICJJ. On Friday, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors' Health & Public Protection Committees will hold a joint meeting to receive an update on the results of recent audits of the medical care provided at the Santa Rita Jail. In advance of this meeting, Supervisor Elisa Marquez and Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez reaffirm their shared commitment to ensuring all inmates receive medical care. The meeting will include an update from Forvis Mazars, the Sheriff's Office medical qualityassurance consultant. Sheriff Sanchez wrote Thursday, 'The Sheriff's Office is committed to accountable and transparent oversight of our contracts. We rely on the expertise of Forvis Mazars and Alameda County Health to support compliance and improve outcomes. Our goal remains clear: to provide the best medical care possible to our incarcerated population.' County officials said Forvis Mazars' audit found ongoing challenges in care management and emergency response at Santa Rita Jail. Alameda County settled a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Monk's family for $7 million. The lawsuit is still pending against Wellpath. The county's death certificate states that Monk died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Incarcerated men sue Mass. sheriff for denying hepatitis C treatment
A federal class action lawsuit filed this week claims a controversial medical services contractor for Essex County jails — and by extension Sheriff Kevin Coppinger — refuses to provide hepatitis C treatment to incarcerated individuals. Filed by Prisoners' Legal Services on behalf of two men currently incarcerated at the Middleton House of Correction, the lawsuit says 'nearly everyone' at the county's jail facilities are denied direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) as part of practices by Wellpath, a privately-contracted health care provider. DAAs, the revolutionary medications that were first developed in 2011, are considered the standard gold-star treatment for hepatitis C today, proven to cure the bloodborne viral infection more than 90% of the time. If left untreated, hepatitis C can cause liver failure, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes and heart problems. If it becomes chronic, it can ultimately lead to death. Massachusetts has made the elimination of hepatitis C a public health priority. Read more: HIV advocates in Mass. push for state funding as President Trump slashes federal dollars Wellpath isn't named as a defendant in the lawsuit, but is cited throughout the complaint. Prisoners' Legal Services Attorney Rachel Talamo explained Coppinger has the legal responsibility as sheriff to provide necessary medical care to people in his custody, and contracting decisions out to a private company doesn't change that obligation. Wellpath was previously the health care services provider for Massachusetts' 10 state-run prisons, but last year, the state pursued a contract with a different entity after Wellpath faced national scrutiny for long wait times and service denials. In 2023, Wellpath found itself at the center of an investigation by The Appeal, a website that covers criminal justice reform issues. It revealed that incarcerated people in Massachusetts' prison system 'had to wait years' for Wellpath to provide them with dentures or other basic dental care. Read more: Mass. inks new deal for prison health care, dumping troubled former provider Despite the state's severance of its partnership with Wellpath, the Essex County Sheriff's Department still contracts with the Nashville-based for-profit company to provide medical services at its three carceral facilities. 'Through its policies and practices, the Sheriff's Department routinely withholds a universally recommended treatment for a disease that is disproportionately both prevalent and deadly in incarcerated populations, letting the disease inflict grave harm on infected people in Essex jails,' reads the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on April 23. In a statement Thursday, the Essex County Sheriff's Department reacted to the lawsuit, saying it 'grossly misrepresents the Essex County Sheriff's Department's commitment to the health and wellbeing of individuals in our custody.' 'Sheriff Kevin Coppinger takes seriously the responsibility to provide both appropriate and the highest-quality medical care, including treatment for Hepatitis C,' the statement said. 'All medical treatment protocols are determined by professionals with our contracted medical provider WellPath. We reject the premise that medical neglect is occurring, and we will vigorously defend the Department's practices and reputation against these accusations in court.' Data cited in the suit shows that, from January 2021 to January 2025, the number of people with hepatitis C in custody of the Essex County Sheriff's Department at a given time ranged between 60 and 130 cases. Those numbers are believed to be an undercount because the department 'tests only a small percentage of the people entering its custody for hepatitis C.' The suit says fewer than 10 people start hepatitis C treatment in sheriff's department custody each year, based on selective decision-making by Wellpath and an overall disregard by the provider for recommended treatment of the infection. In addition, it claims that Wellpath touts 'self care' and 'diet and lifestyle modifications' for hepatitis C, instead of DAAs. Wellpath did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Attorney Talamo said the policies force people to endure progressive risk of permanent liver damage during their incarceration. 'This is not only inhumane and illegal, but also fueling a public health crisis,' she said. The plaintiffs, both men in their 30s, claim they've unsuccessfully sought hepatitis C treatment at the Middleton House of Correction for more than a year. One has developed advanced liver fibrosis. In a statement, plaintiff Adam Cochrane said, 'I want everyone to get treatment for Hep C and get healthy and be okay. I want people to have a chance to have a better life.' The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring timely treatment for all people with hepatitis C in Essex County jails, as well as routine testing upon admission and connection to community care upon release. The court action against Coppinger comes seven years after Prisoners' Legal Services secured a settlement requiring the Massachusetts Department of Correction to provide DAA treatment to people with hepatitis C incarcerated in state prisons. Friends, family needed for paid New England resort commercial After Boston Red Sox' early trade for prospect, they see 'bunch of tools' Springfield man who police say threatened to shoot people at bank pleads not guilty Springfield man arrested twice in 6 hours accused of aiming gun at police 2025 All Western Mass. Boys Alpine Skiing: Lenox, Hampshire lead first and second selections Read the original article on MassLive.
