The Sebastian County Quorum Court has approved a $3 million appropriation to settle a federal lawsuit filed by the estate of Larry Eugene Price Jr., who starved to death in the Sebastian County jail. Price, a mentally ill man with paranoid schizophrenia, was unable to pay $100 bail while awaiting trial for pointing finger guns at police. Despite his obvious need for mental health care, Price suffered horrific conditions in jail, including eating feces and drinking urine. When he was found unresponsive, his weight had dropped from 185 pounds to 90 pounds. Seattle attorneys representing the estate are working on finalizing the settlement terms with the defendants, which include Sebastian County and others involved in providing health care at the jail. A settlement conference was held on July 8, and the case was recently reassigned to a new judge in U.S. District Court. The estate’s attorneys have not yet returned calls for comment. This tragic case shines a light on the treatment of mentally ill individuals in the criminal justice system and raises important questions about the responsibility of jails to provide appropriate care for inmates with mental health challenges.
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Photo credit arktimes.com
Panel approves millions in settlement for man’s death in Fort Smith jail_Msk
