Tarrant County Jail Inmate Dies Days After Complaining About An Untreated Infection

Adrienne Lemons, 35, was placed in jail earlier this month as a result of unpaid traffic tickets. Ten days later she was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital, where she died. What happened?

Although a spokeswoman for the hospital declined to comment, Lemons’ ex-husband claims that she had a staph infection and was supposed to be taking antibiotics during her incarceration. She had complained about pain near her shoulder at the jail and even threatened to cut her wrists rather than endure the pain. The response?

Adrienne Lemons was shuttled off to a solitary cell downtown.

JPS Health Network operates the hospital and provides health care at the Tarrant County Jail and this isn’t the first time they’ve been under fire for their quality of care. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram performed an investigation of the healthcare conditions at the jails in 2005 after 10 inmate deaths. Investigators turned up an assortment of problems, including staffing shortages, inadequate supplies, broken equipment and shoddy record keeping practices.

The question on everyone’s mind at this point is why wasn’t Adrienne administered the medicine she needed? She was obviously sick and in need of antibiotics, so why was she denied access? There are so many questions that this case brings up, but one thing we know for certain: Adrienne Lemons’ should not have died on June 13. Someone must be held accountable for this horrible tragedy.