Jail: It's like living in the 1600s

In yet another in what has been a string of questionable deaths at Tarrant County Jail, a 35-year-old Dallas woman died on June 13th while in the custody of the county. Adrienne Lemons died of an apparent untreated staph infection while sitting in custody for traffic tickets and a DWLI. Despite requesting her previously-prescribed antibiotics, Ms. Lemons was apparently never given the medication.

Although no cause of death has been cited by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner, both Lemons' ex-husband and brother claim she had the infection prior to going into custody. Both claim that although she requested her medication, it was never provided.

Lemons complained of pain in her shoulder, and actually threatened to cut her wrists to avoid the pain. At that point, she was transported from the minimum security Cold Springs facility to the downtown Tarrant County Jail. However, JPS hospital staff never provided the medication.

JPS Health Network contracts with Tarrant County to provide medical services to inmates. But over the last several years, their medical care has been under fire. In 2005, a Star-Telegram investigation revealed "staffing shortages, inadequate supplies, broken and obsolete equipment, and patient records, including inmate requests for medical care, in tatters." This came on the heels of 10 inmate deaths that year.

Although JPS has revised their plans for inmate medical care, clearly problems still exist.

When asked about his sister's death, Lemons' brother Shannon Woodrome said "I can see an infection killing someone in the 1600s or the 1700s, but that shouldn’t happen today."

Comments

[JB]

Same thing happend to me during a brief stay at Tarrant County. Fortunantly I did not die. Lost part of my leg though. I had emergency surgery and responded well to the antibiotics. Spent one week in the hopital and had to have multiple skin graffs. They did not beleive me when I asked for help. So sad what happend to this young woman.

[Rjt]

If JPS can't do the job, and letting people die why the hell are they still there!!!!! Who has employed them? Why haven't the employers stopped this? Are they involved. It will take someone with $ to get to the bottom of this. I have proof they contributed to my uncles death, I just don't know who to give it to. This might help someone else's case. The medical examiner ruled it a heart disease but I have proof an officer had something to do with it. I hope they sue and take the whole county. The Lemons family could do a better job than Tarrant county ever could. If you want proof give me an email and I will send it to you.

[Fuck you, Mollee Westfall, you're too young and naive to be a real judge.]

There is literally nothing that can be done. There is no way you can win a case against the county... There are just too many people with too much power. Welcome to Corruption of the System: 101. We need a revolution.