7 Million Dollar Settlement After TX Inmate Dies Inhumane Death

A Texas family was just awarded a historic settlement amount from a Texas jail after an inmate died a tragic inhumane death.

AN INHUMANE CRIPPLING DEATH

46-year-old Holly Barlow-Austin was sent to Bi-State Justice Center in Texarkana, Texas after she violated probation. However, entering that facility would lead her to a painful, barbaric, and inhumane death.

EXPERIENCING LIFE-THREATENING SYMPTOMS

Barlow-Austin spent two months in the Texas jail complaining of excruciating symptoms. Barlow-Austin had HIV and while in jail, she was denied her life-saving medication. She expressed her concern and shared her symptoms with staff but was brushed off and ignored.

According to a suit filed by Barlow-Austin's family, she complained of the following:

• severe headaches
• nausea
• neck pain 
• large knot in her neck
• blurred vision
• numbness in her legs

Her blurred vision and numbness in her legs escalated to the point where she went blind and could no longer walk. In fact, according to the report, she was seen crawling around her cell, unable to walk. Jail surveillance video captured Barlow-Austin in her last hours of life suffering inside the jail.

Her husband raised his concerns to the medical staff at the jail but his cries for help were also dismissed. According to the suit, "During her final 48 hours in jail, Barlow-Austin was emaciated, starving and dehydrated and in obvious pain."

 Barlow-Austin died of ”fungemia/sepsis due to fungus, cryptococcal meningitis, HIV/AIDS, and accelerated hypertension” after finally being transferred to a local hospital.

A HISTORIC SETTLEMENT

The family of the now-deceased Holly Barlow-Austin, was awarded a historic $7 million settlement money. The civil rights law firm Budge & Heipt PLLC representing the family made a startling statement saying

 other inmates have died from neglect at the Bi-State Justice Center.

The law firm warned, “Outcome should serve as a wake-up call to all private jail and prison operators—not just in Texas, but everywhere: If you’re going to cut corners and put profits over people’s lives, there will be a steep price to pay."

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