Inmate awarded $15.5 million for spending 22 months in solitary confinement

A federal jury has awarded a New Mexico man $15.5 million in damages for his treatment behind bars.

Stephen Slevin was arrested for drunk driving in 2005 and was held in solitary confinement in the Dona Ana County detention center for 22 months without a trial or access to health care. The two pictures on the right illustrate how he looked when he was booked in 2005 and the condition he was in when he was released in 2007.

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Originally he was awarded 22 million but the state of New Mexico appealed and the parties finally agreed upon the 15.5 million. Of course the lawyers will receive 30% of that but he will at least have enough to pay for his lung cancer treatment.

I can't even understand how this could happen. Surely the jailers had to question why this guy didn't ever have a court date. It is almost as if it was done on purpose. Didn't he ever have a phone call or access to a phone?? Anyway, a travesty but at at least he will live his last days in comfort and not in poverty. Check out his before and after picture. Disgusting.

Heres the picture...

At little bit more:

He never even saw a judge. The county literally locked him up and threw away the key. During his imprisonment, Slevin says that he was ignored for such long stretches of time that he was forced to pull out his own tooth, since he wasn't allowed to see a dentist.

According to NBC News, "his toenails growing so long that they curled around his foot, and fungus festering on his skin because he was deprived of showers." Again, this is without ever seeing a judge or being formally convicted of any crimes.


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Wait,

I thought the US prided itself on being fair and humane with their treatment towards prisoners? This is absolutely inexcusable and the award states it as true.

And drunk driving to boot?

Peace

reply to post by GrantedBail


Poor fellow imagine, what that must have done to his mentality let alone his body. Well at least he has a good amount of money to show for the insubordination of a slightly retarded judicial system ( sarcasm intended)

Just imagine how any supposed terrorists make out in the same conditions, unbelievable is all I can say in regards to your thread and link you so kindly provided.

S&F
Regards, Iwinder

Terrible. I would like to know why no family or friends didn't do anything?
And I would also like to know how many people lost their jobs with such neglect that occurred to this man.

Wow.Lock me up for 22 months. A $15 million dollar haircut would suit me fine.

his original settlement was for $22 mil.

They challenged that amount, and ended up settling for $15.5.


Im not suprised- what happens behind locked bars hardly get noticed by those on the outside.

Having read the article the one thing that we should be concerned about is the following:

Without a trial, without any concern this person was locked in jail with out any concern for justice. What did the authorities do was lock him up and throw away the key. We do not know if he is a repeat offender, nor do we know what all his record is. But that is not the issue, the issue is that the law enforcement acted as judge, jury and exocutioner. While we all may agree that there may be a few criminals that should have that kind of treatment, but they still got a trial.

The authorities in short, in this case, locked up an innocent person, they did not determine his guilt, did not find him guilty and punished him for a crime that he was never really accused of. The person should have sued for more, asking for punititive damages along with putting the entire staff on a new career path, from the commanders down to the officers that run the jail, banning them from ever doing any sort of law enforcement ever again. Along with double checking for all of those in their custody.

Originally posted by pacifier2012
Wow.Lock me up for 22 months. A $15 million dollar haircut would suit me fine.

If I were still in Vegas and you got locked up id bet ton of money against your 22 month survival, youd prob swallow your tongue in a desparate suicide.....but that's the old gambler in me.

to second a previous posters sentiment.....nobody in his life checked up on his status? im gonna have to read further

reply to post by sdcigarpig


I am so down with your analysis!! The guy got pulled over for a dui and then they added the extra charge of stolen vehicle which was weak at best. The prosecutors had dick for evidence and just buried they guy.

What makes this crime eligible for major damages is the fact that the man had lung cancer and was deprived treatment for two flipping years.

Anyone...and I mean anyone!!!! Who supports the state of New Mexico on this issue ought to be fed to lions.

reply to post by pacifier2012


you pusstard...

I would like to see you go solitary 22 months. That is the jail's jail. You don't get nothin. This guy didn't even have hygiene. Obviously he didn't have phone access or visits. And no medical attention?? Seriously, did someone drop you on your head??

Whimp...I would like to see you do some time with your peers.

Originally posted by jude11
Wait,

I thought the US prided itself on being fair and humane with their treatment towards prisoners? This is absolutely inexcusable and the award states it as true.

And drunk driving to boot?

Peace

I agree but this is obviously (and still disgusting) an exception to the rule otherwise these trials would be rampant if this is how the system operated. It fell through the cracks and to correct the injustice as it should, he is awarded compensation (nothing can truly compensate; save the police will probably never touch him again unless his actions are completely egregious).

So the system in this instance, the aftermath, worked. Expect civil suits to follow in my opinion.

Originally posted by pacifier2012
Wow.Lock me up for 22 months. A $15 million dollar haircut would suit me fine.

He wasn't just locked up. He was denied due process, put into solitary confinement and basically left to rot until someone actually spoke up about it. That isn't a walk in the park. I suggest finding a local immigrant from the old Soviet Russia and/or a Jew that experienced the concentration camps and ask them if 22 months is worth $15 million. The answers might surprise you.

This happens because human beings have no problem with it happening. This guy had to sue to get compensation, think about this. The human beings who work for the State committed and egregious act, one that not even that jackass Arizona sheriff would defend, and it would take a full blown lawsuit, threats of appeal, millions in attorney fees to rectify the situation - what's the difference here between this and the gulag? Remedy via lawsuit, the inhumanity to man, by man, because it is really cool to say, "if you aren't doing anything wrong you have nothing to fear, but if you are arrested, screw you." We arrest anyone for anything, in fact, if we can't find a reason to arrest you on the spot, we'll figure one out later, and that's how people want it.

This happens because it is what people want. No mystery here. If we didn't want it we'd have no solitary confinement, but want those gd prisoners to pay damnit, and we pay a hell of a lot of money for them to pay.

Don't you find it odd that the actual people damaged by criminals pay for their incarceration, and all bail/fine money goes to the State?

he probably banged a police chief or judges daughter or similar. That is the only logical way he could go "unnoticed" because someone put him there and fed him but punished him beyond measure. Had to be something heavy.
You may be forgotten in a ghetto or a far away warzone but how do you go unnoticed in a US jail? Where you eat. Whoever fed him knew he was there, the commanders knew he was there. Where the hell is his family? This is pretty frigged up.

Drunk drivers should be punished but holy cow, he had it worse than a Guantanamo prisoner. At least they have sunshine.

reply to post by WormwoodSquirm


Agreed and that is why I sense a hefty civil suit highlighting the systemic abuse of the prison he was held. Though, you have to remember, just because folks work these prisons doesn't necessarily mean they know why people are in them. That is the job of the judiciary (in which he never experienced).

So there was a breakdown and he was compensated for it, the next thing is to keep pressing to find out; are there others in this particular system who are experiencing the same?

Time for a young DA looking to make a name to start digging me thinks.

reply to post by ownbestenemy


Someone was looking through his little window and someone was in charge and they all knew his toenails were growing over his feet and that he never had a shower. I doubt he was the victim of a breakdown in communication. More like a victim of "make that bass (fish) turd pay"

Originally posted by WormwoodSquirm
reply to post by ownbestenemy

 

Someone was looking through his little window and someone was in charge and they all knew his toenails were growing over his feet and that he never had a shower. I doubt he was the victim of a breakdown in communication. More like a victim of "make that bass (fish) turd pay"

I am not condoning what happened but its obvious that either there was a system wide failure at the prison or the top-dog of the prison had standing orders. Either way it was a disaster and stopping here would only allow it to happen again. The man, through all his trauma and suffering should press forward. Even if he doesn't, at this point, the DA/AG have an obligation to the People of New Mexico to seriously inquire about this situation.

I thank you for clarifying the "bass" part....at least made me chuckle I suppose. He may very well been a victim of this and that is the point of my posts; don't stop now that you were compensated. There is a systemic problem at this prison and within the justice system of that area. Bring it to light.