Man spends 2 years in solitary after DWI arrest

msnbc.com ^ | 01/25/2012 | Elizabeth Chuck

[The KG9 Kid]

A New Mexico man who said he was forced to pull his own tooth while in solitary confinement because he was denied access to a dentist has been awarded $22 million due to inhumane treatment by New Mexico's Dona Ana County Jail.

Stephen Slevin was arrested in August of 2005 for driving while intoxicated, then thrown in jail for two years. He was in solitary at Dona Ana County Jail for his entire sentence and basically forgotten about and never given a trial, he told NBC station KOB.com Tuesday night.

"'[Jail guards were] walking by me every day, watching me deteriorate," Slevin said. "Day after day after day, they did nothing, nothing at all, to get me any help."

[The KG9 Kid]

This would be world-wide front page news if Bush was still President, with the comparisons drawn to Guantanamo and torture in foreign lands.

Sorry isn't enough in this case, and this can hardly be the only case.

If there was a shred of decency and shame left in Dona Ana County NM, the Chief LEO would drive out to the forest, walk to a remote area, then stick the muzzle of a rifle under their chin and pull the trigger. We'll kindly post their suicide note on the Internet for them.

But I'm sure what will happen is that instead everyone in authority will clam up and pretend that they were all doing their job and nobody can determine who is to blame.

[JDW11235]

We live in a police state, simple as that. With about 1 in 90, to 1 in 60 (about 1-1.5%) of our population in prison at any given moment, and having more prisoners than anyone in the world (By a factor of 5, compared to the runner up, communist China), it’s necessary to keep the money rolling in. Bloated government has to be funded somehow.

[Dallas59]

I guess the cops never thought about him. “Why is he still here?”...might have saved 22 million.

[Nifster]

It is not the % of people in prison that makes a police state. Most of the folks in prison are there for armed robbery, home invasion, murder, rape, and other violent crimes. If you do that crime plan on sitting in the box forever as far as I am concerned.

This poor guy....I am ashamed of a system that produces this result

[MeganC]

Two years without trial, no phone call, and no habeus corpus. Isn’t that the law that Congress and the President just passed?

[JimRed]

(By a factor of 5, compared to the runner up, communist China)

The only reason China would have fewer in prison is that there if you are a big enough annoyance they'll just take you out back and shoot you.

[mountainbunny]

Too many people will say to fine the employees, and will ask why the taxpayer through the city/county/whatever should foot the bill. This is why:

Dona Ana County officials were tight-lipped about the case, refusing to answer questions about whether any jail employees were reprimanded or fired over Slevin's treatment.

"We do not discuss personnel issues," Jess Williams, Dona Ana County's public information director, told msnbc.com. Williams also wouldn't comment on whether the $22 million the county was ordered to pay would come from taxpayer money, saying only, "Dona Ana County will appeal the verdict."

He said no county officials would answer questions about why Slevin was held for so long without going to trial, or any other questions related to the legal parts of the case.

If taxpayers accept this level of widespread abuse and lack of accountability, you deserve to pay through the nose till you get rid of those employees.

[Lazlo in PA]

It sound like a lot of officials and employees of the detention center should be taking this man place in jail. This is an appalling story.

[colorado tanker]

We had a case here a few years ago where a young woman who was booked on DUI died on her cell floor from a ruptured spleen. She repeated asked for help and other prisoners were yelling at the guards that she wasn’t faking. She was a cute gal with her whole life ahead of her.

[Truth29]

Gulag New Mexico. I wonder what the story is about how he finally got noticed and released?

[krb]

In before the “if you can’t do the time ...” posts.

[wardaddy]

2 years in the hole is a long bit

hope he had reading material and they turned lights on and off timely

weeks or months in the dark is tuff

id like some time with these jailer punks

[Yashcheritsiy]

Most of the folks in prison are there for armed robbery, home invasion, murder, rape, and other violent crimes

IIRC, at least a large plurality of prisoners are non-violent drug offenders.

[Publius Valerius]

The article notes that his friends and sister have been supportive. Query as to where these people were when he was in jail for two years? I would think that a lawyer could have put a quick stop to this before two years passed.

This is, no doubt, an egregious story, but the missing details make it seem odd.

[Leep]

This is one of my top five fears. False imprisonment.

[meatloaf]

You might want to check how many non-violent vs. violent inmates are sitting in cells these days. Looks like the majority are in for non-violent crimes.

[Nifster]

The statistics show that 57% are in federal or state prison for violent crimes and other felonies. Perhaps you are thinking of jail in the local municipalities.

And just exactly what is the IIRC? Is that right in there with amnesty???

[takbodan]

He made 11 million a year. Not a bad living and he’s sober.
It was the best thing that probably ever happened to him.

[Cyman]

First of all I don't believe 75% of the article. Consider the source.

I would gladly take 22 million smackers for being in confinement for 2 years.

Will they pay the first Mars astronaut $22 million for the expected two year plus round trip

[DallasDeb]

IIRC = If I recall correctly ...