In just one year, the Gwinnett County Jail has racked up more than $7 million in jail abuse case settlements. The county’s insurance policy has covered most of the bill, but around $2 million in taxpayer money has been used as well.
The most recent case to be settled involved 23-year-old Chris Howard, who was arrested for a DUI after consuming a weed cookie.
Chris suffered a seizure while in his intake cell. The medical staff urged deputies to take him to the jail clinic immediately, but the jail's Rapid Response Team thought he was faking, and instead left him in an observation cell alone for more than 30 minutes. While in the cell, Chris went into cardiac arrest and never regained consciousness.
The family settled their wrongful death lawsuit with Gwinnett County for $3,872,500. None of the deputies were disciplined.
Eighty-seven other inmates have been awarded settlements from the county in the last year, with more pending.
Gwinnett recently elected a new sheriff, Keybo Taylor, who has already disbanded the jail's Rapid Response Team. He's also planning new training for deputies and is looking to hire a de-escalation specialist.
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