A federal civil rights lawsuit is seeking a court-appointed review of conditions at the Hamilton County Jail after a Maryland man alleged he nearly died from sepsis when his wounds went untreated.
Filed by Chattanooga attorney Neal Pinkston, former Hamilton County district attorney, the June 15 complaint alleged that several defendants – including the county, Sheriff Austin Garrett, the jail’s contracted medical service and others – were deliberately indifferent to his client’s medical needs.
Pinkston also argued that the defendants have done little to improve what he asserted were unconstitutional jail conditions.
According to the lawsuit, one senior Chattanooga federal judge is overseeing around a dozen alleged civil rights violation cases tied to the jail, which transitioned from private operation to county staff operation at the end of 2020.
“For years, the jail has been well known for its violence, inhumane conditions, medical neglect and failure to protect inmates,” the lawsuit alleged. “These issues continue unabated despite the county’s takeover of the facility.”