Before jail death settlement, SLO County paid damages to one other inmate since 2012
The county has paid pre-claim settlements in two other inmate cases, however --
Administrative claims are the first step to filing a lawsuit. The county must accept or reject them within 45 days of filing.
The county provided the documents to The Tribune at the newspaper's request for inmate claims that sought damages for treatment or incidents related to their time in jail. The Tribune did not review several claims that the
Treatment of
In a statement announcing the Holland settlement, the county called Holland's death "a tragedy that should have never happened," and pledged to implement specific reforms to improve treatment of jail inmates with mental and physical health needs. The settlement was awarded before a claim was officially filed.
The accusation that resulted in the
County Counsel
Seven of the 11 claims filed by inmates were rejected:
-- One unsuccessful claim alleged civil rights violations;
-- One claimed an inmate wasn't properly treated by jail medical staff;
-- One inmate filed two unsuccessful claims, both in 2014, alleging he contracted a bacterial infection while cleaning a safety cell as part of his work-release program, and that he chipped his teeth on a piece of metal in his cole slaw;
-- Two inmates filed unsuccessful claims with the county over jail staff's alleged failure to prevent physical injuries suffered at the hands of other inmates;
-- Another claimed he slipped and fell in the shower.
Of the four pending claims, one former inmate is seeking
In another pending claim, a former inmate who was booked into jail during a mental health episode says he was hog-tied by deputies, and refused medical treatment for self-inflicted injuries to his eyes that resulted in disfigurement. Neal said the county plans to reject the claim.
Another former inmate filed a claim last month seeking damages for emotional distress, alleging she witnessed Holland's death and jail staff negligence as she cleaned Holland's soiled cell as part of the jail's work release program. Neal said the county plans to reject this claim too.
None of the claimants remained in custody at the
According to county records, all of the unsuccessful claims were handled through the county's general liability program and did not result in
The two pre-claim settlements were managed through the county's medical malpractice program. Under that program, the county pays a
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