Investigations into the death found jail logs had been falsified, but it was unclear ... whether the check sheets were among the falsified documents.Cowling's death was particularly tragic because her incarceration was so pointless: A single mother of three, she was arrested Christmas Eve during a traffic stop where troopers discovered outstanding traffic warrants from 2007 in two neighboring counties. She couldn't pay so remained in jail where she died five days later.
Gregg County officials arrested two former jailers in connection with the alleged falsifications. One was said to have occurred in November, another was in relation to Cowling’s death. A total of four jailers were fired as a result of the death investigations, including the two who were arrested. Another resigned.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Longview jail death likely due to withdrawals from withheld medication
Autopsy results are in regarding the Gregg County jail death discussed on Grits here - a story that's received excellent coverage from the Longview News-Journal. The "autopsy report for 33-year-old Amy Lynn Cowling revealed her cause of death was 'probable' seizure due to methadone and prescription drug withdrawals." Another News-Journal story added this pitiful tidbit: Cowling was "found unresponsive in a jail separation cell ... kneeling in a praying position beside her bed before being removed and declared dead a short time later." Further:
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Bill's needs to be passed into Laws regarding the Texas Jail Commission information, which states each Jail has their own policy. If she would have been say in Upsher county where they give inmates their prescribed prescriptions she would be alive today. That is a FACT. We need everyone to contact their local representative and senate and push on getting this changed. From Amy's Aunt... contact me at amys.angel@yahoo.com for more information. Thank you and god bless the souls that did this to her.
Killed by the state over tickets.
And if a petty tyrant (admittedly, from a
dfferent state) has his way, her orphans can be shamed and broken over where they buy clothing.
What a country we live in.
At least we are winning the war on drugs.
a poor soul dies because of being denied her medication (remember: we've fooled ourselves into believing we're the greatest country in the world. if deadly weapon possession is what makes us the greatest country in the world, i guess we are. if we're talking about how we treat our own citizens, i don't think we are. the post "At least we are winning the war on drugs." leads me to believe most americans are clueless.
"Another News-Journal story added this pitiful tidbit: Cowling was "found unresponsive in a jail separation cell ... kneeling in a praying position beside her bed before being removed and declared dead a short time later." Further:
Investigations into the death found jail logs had been falsified, but it was unclear ... whether the check sheets were among the falsified documents." the poor woman was praying to live. some longview jailer took her meds and murdered her. but the system will close ranks and the jailer that took Amy's withdrawal meds will be exonerated. if you want to find corruption, investigate all the law enforcement in texas. in fact for public safety, all the law enforcement in the US should be investigated. law enforcement forces are generally psychologically unfit. and the taser has gotten the brutal officers off the hook repeatedly, but the deaths just keep piling up.
and when one needs police protection, they are busy fulfilling their traffic ticket quota.
And yet the U.S. hypocritically criticizes human rights violations in other countries and even bombs them when their civilian population (and the flow of oil) is supposedly threatened.
When the same things happen here, it's a big "Nevermind!"
I have a Palestinian friend who tells me: "In Israel, when you get stopped by the police, you never know if you will end up getting shot."
I tell him: "How is that any different from Houston? When you get stopped by the police, you never know if you will get a ticket or a bullet."
It has been suspected for years, that Gregg County, its Sheriff and County Doctor have been cutting corners when it comes to inmate medical care.
I now suspect that if the County is "self-insured" any savings it has previously realized are going to be paid, probably many times over, in a wrongful death settlement.
Maybe Amnesty International can find time to review the incarceration conditions of jails in Texas.
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