Another Inmate Has Died at the Nassau County Jail

Another inmate has died at the Nassau County Correctional Center, the sixth such instance this year.

According to Newsday, the 62-year-old inmate died after suffering heart failure while hospitalized on Monday.

A representative from the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, which oversees the jail, was not available for comment. The state Commission of Correction, which oversees state prisons, confirmed the death. The commission will investigate the death.

The death raises even more concern about the jail’s health services provider, Armor Health, which has faced criticism from many different people about inadequate healthcare for inmates. The families of four inmates that died this year are suing the health provider and the county.

Conditions with Armor were so bad that, in July, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against the Florida-based company, which receives $11 million annually from the county for health services.

“Failing to provide proper health services as required is completely unacceptable,” Schneiderman said when he announced the lawsuit. “Neglecting the duty to provide adequate care not only defrauds taxpayers, it compromises the health and safety of inmates, with sometimes fatal consequences.”

According to Schneiderman, Armor has failed to uphold many parts of its contract, including:

• Not timely responding to inmates’ requests for medical assistance, and at times failing to respond entirely;
• Not providing required reports regarding assessment of care and improvement plans where audits show failures;
• Failing to provide timely and continuous access to prescription medications;
• Failing to provide timely and effective diagnostic services, such as laboratory tests;
• Failing to reliably provide important mental health services, such as treatment plans;
• Failing to provide adequate access to off-site medical specialists; and
• Understaffing key clinical and managerial positions, including leaving some positions vacant for months at a time.

Nassau County has not renewed its contract with Armor, but many are still calling on the county government to terminate the contract now and find a new health provider. Armor's contract is up in May.

"It's both sad and infuriating that Nassau County officials continue to employ Armor Correctional Health Services despite the fact that they have been found by New York State to have provided inadequate care in connection with five inmate deaths since 2011," said Dr. Dean Hart, president of the watchdog group Long Island Citizens for Good Government. "Every time an inmate fatality occurs, everyone suffers, including the taxpaying citizens who will eventually have to pay for the alleged negligence of Armor. Dump Armor already."

Patch File Photo