SCHNEIDERMAN'S FURNITURE TONIGHT OUR CONTINUING
KARE11 INVESTIGATION DISCOVERS
IN MINNESOTA PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS FOR PREVENTING GAOLY
DEATHS ARE OFTEN IGNORED. HERE'S
AJ LAGOE WITH THE LATEST
FINDINGS IN OUR SERIES CRUEL
AND UNUSUAL. AND WE WANT TO WARN
YOU THIS REPORT CONTAINS
SOME GRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT
SUICIDE. I LISTED
>> WHAT CAUSED CHARITY BROWN
TO LOSE. IT WAS LEARNING HER
BROTHER JAMES LINUS HAD TAKEN
HIS OWN LIFE AT
>> THAT POINT IN TIME TO FEEL
LIKE WHAT ELSE COULD I HAVE DONE
TO HELP HIM?
>> LINUS WAS AT THE SHERBURN
COUNTY JAIL DOING TIME FOR A DWI
WHEN ON NOVEMBER 9TH, 2017
HE HANGED HIMSELF
>>. BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN
DO . BUT OUR INVESTIGATION FOUND
THERE IS MORE THAT COULD HAVE
BEEN DONE AND IT'S A STRONG
EXAMPLE OF HOW DESPITE ALARMS
AND YEARS OF DEATHS, MINNESOTA
LEADERS ARE TURNING A BLIND EYE.
FAILING TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT
OF MEDICAL AND MENTAL
HEALTH CARE BEHIND JAIL BARS.
I BELIEVE THEY WERE COMPLETELY
INDIFFERENT BOTH AT
A CORRECTIONAL LEVEL AND ON
A MEDICAL LEVEL.
>> ATTORNEY BOB BENNETT
REPRESENTS LINUS'S FAMILY
AND HAS FILED A LAWSUIT WHICH
CLAIMS THE SUICIDAL MAN WAS
DENIED MENTAL
DENIED MENTAL HEALTH CARE VIOLATING THE EIGHTH
AMENDMENT PROHIBITION ON CRUEL
AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT.
ACCORDING TO COURT AND JAIL
RECORDS, LINUS WAS IN WITHDRAWAL
FROM A SEVERE DRUG HABIT WHICH
HIS FAMILY SAYS BEGAN AFTER
DISFIGURING ACCIDENT. RECORDS
SHOW HE TOLD A GAOLY NURSE
HE WAS HAVING SUICIDAL IDEATIONS
AND WAS SUFFERING AND NOT COPING
WITH IT. HE FILLED OUT THIS
MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING
AND AGAIN EXPRESSED THOUGHTS
OF KILLING HIMSELF. BUT CLAIMED
HE WOULD NOT ACT ON THEM .
HOWEVER, HIS SCORE OF 43
INDICATED SEVERE DEPRESSION,
BUT HE RECEIVED NO CARE FOR ALL
INTENTS AND PURPOSES.
>> WAS PUT ON A SPECIAL MENTAL
HEALTH WATCH THAT REQUIRED
GUARDS CHECK ON HIM EVERY 15
MINUTES AND ON NOVEMBER 5TH.
RECORDS SHOW OF PHYSICIANS
ASSISTANT MADE AN URGENT MENTAL
HEALTH REFERRAL TO SEE
THE JAIL'S PSYCHOLOGIST. DESPITE
THAT URGENT REQUEST,
THE APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED
FOR 11 DAYS LATER. JAMES LINUS
NEVER GOT THAT MENTAL
HEALTH CARE BEFORE HE USED
HIS BEDSHEETS TO HANG HIMSELF
IN HIS CELL.
>> SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER
PROTECTION FOR ANYBODY
AND SITUATION, WHETHER IT BE MY
BROTHER OR THE NEXT PERSON
>> TO AVOID PREVENTABLE DEATHS.
THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON
CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE SPELLS
THREE SEPARATE REVIEWS SHOULD
HAPPEN WHENEVER AN INMATE DIES
AND ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW TO SEE
WHERE JAIL POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES CAN BE IMPROVED.
A CLINICAL MORTALITY REVIEW
TO ASSESS WHETHER MEDICAL
AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE COULD
HAVE BEEN BETTER PROVIDED.
AND IF IT'S A SUICIDE.
A PSYCHOLOGIC AUTOPSY NEEDS
TO BE DONE. THAT'S A FOCUS ON
THE MENTAL HEALTH FACTORS
THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEATH.
YOU DO THIS REVIEW WITH AN EYE
TOWARD SAYING WHAT ARE WE GOING
TO DO DIFFERENT TO PREVENT THIS
FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE?
DR. KEVIN FISCELLA IS ON
THE BOARD THE NATIONAL
COMMISSION AND SAYS THERE'S NO
REASON THESE CRITICAL DEATH
REVIEWS SHOULD BE SKIPPED.
>> WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT
TO LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES
AND LEARN FROM DEATHS TO PREVENT
FUTURE DEATHS IN THE FUTURE
>>? BUT WHEN JAMES LINUS DIED,
THERE IS NO RECORD THAT A REVIEW
OF THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE HE
RECEIVED OR A PSYCHOLOGICAL
AUTOPSY WAS DONE. WHAT'S MORE,
THE STATE ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW
FOUND THE JAIL COMMITTED NO
VIOLATIONS EVEN THOUGH GUARDS
MADE WELFARE CHECKS THROUGH
A WINDOW. SO OBSTRUCTED. A JUDGE
RECENTLY RULED THEY AMOUNTED
TO NO CHECK AT ALL HAD THOROLD
DEATH REVIEWS ACTUALLY BEEN
DONE. ANOTHER LIFE MAY HAVE BEEN
SAVED. JUSTICE WHITE HANGED
HIMSELF A FEW MONTHS AGO IN THE
EXACT SAME CELL IN THE EXACT
SAME MANNER AS JAMES LINUS. SO
WHY WEREN'T THE MEDICAL REVIEWS
DONE AT ALL IN LINUS'S CASE?
>> DID NOT FOLLOW THIS TWO
LETTER OF THIS STANDARD. THAT'S
DR. TODD LEONARD, THE OWNER
OF MENARD CORRECTIONAL CARE ,
THE PRIVATE CONTRACTOR PAID TAX
DOLLARS TO PROVIDE MEDICAL
AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE TO
THE SHERBURN JAIL. PLEASE RAISE
YOUR RIGHT HAND IN A SWORN
DEPOSITION. DR. LEONARD
TESTIFIED HE REVIEWED THE CARE
HIS TEAM PROVIDED JAMES LINUS
AND FOUND NO MISTAKES. SO NEVER
PUT ANYTHING IN WRITING.
>> SIMPLY TOLD EVERYONE THAT I
SPOKE TO THAT I DID NOT FIND
SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES WITH THE
CARE OF THIS PATIENT THAT I FELT
REQUIRED
REQUIRED
REQUIRED >> CHANGES AND MOVING FORWARD.
DID YOU DO A PSYCHOLOGICAL
AUTOPSY? I DID NOT
>> KARE11 IDENTIFIED 24 JALE
DEATHS SINCE 2015 WHERE MEND WAS
THE JAIL'S HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
.THAT INCLUDES HARDEL SHERRELL
,WHOSE DEATH IN BELTRAMI COUNTY
HAS LED TO NUMEROUS PROTESTS
AND AN ONGOING FBI INVESTIGATION
>>. DR. LEONARD
>> DECLINED TO SPEAK
WITH KARE11, CITING PENDING
LITIGATION. BUT WHEN ASKED UNDER
OATH IF HE FOUND PROBLEMS OR PUT
ANYTHING IN WRITING REGARDING
REVIEWS OF ANY CASES, HE GAVE
THIS ANSWER. AS YOU SIT
HERE TODAY, CAN
>> YOU NAME ONE WRITTEN REPORT?
I CAN'T NAME ONE .
>> HE'S NOT ALONE.
KARE11 SURVEYED EVERY JAIL
IN THE STATE THAT HAD HAD
A DEATH IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
THERE WERE 30 OF THEM AND WE
FOUND ONLY THREE. RAMSEY
HENNEPIN AND ANOKA COUNTY'S
COMPLIED WITH NATIONAL
STANDARDS. MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS
WERE WARNED ABOUT THIS YEARS AGO
BACK IN 2016, THE LEGISLATIVE
AUDITOR FOUND IN MINNESOTA
REVIEWS OF JAIL SUICIDES DID NOT
LIVE UP TO PROFESSIONAL
STANDARDS, SPECIFICALLY POINTING
OUT THAT THERE WAS NO REVIEW
OF THE ADEQUACY OF MENTAL
HEALTH OR CLINICAL CARE GIVEN
TO THE INMATE. BUT STATE
LEADERSHIP DID NOTHING
AND VULNERABLE PEOPLE LIKE JAMES
LINUS CONTINUE TO DIE
WITH LITTLE TO NO OVERSIGHT
OF THE HEALTH CARE THEY DID OR
DID NOT RECEIVE. IN MINNESOTA
JAILS
JAILS
JAILS >>
JAILS >> THESE ARE HANEY'S AS WELL .
THEY DESERVE A CHANCE. THEY
DESERVE THE CARE THAT SHOULD BE
PROVIDED FOR .
KARE11 INVESTIGATES A MAJOR
AND LAGOE
AND LAGOE
AND LAGOE >> INVESTIGATION
>> INVESTIGATION >> IS ALREADY GETTING RESULTS.
SCOTT COUNTY SHERIFF LOU CANNON
TELLS KARE11 BECAUSE OF THE
QUESTIONS BEING ASKED. WE