Lawsuits against jails, sheriffs and state hospitals have cost taxpayers more than $38.6 million
Long before the U.S. Department of Justice decided to investigate the jail where Jamycheal Mitchell wasted away in plain sight of guards and nurses, inmates in Virginia were dying at a rate of roughly 110 a year.
Many of their families filed lawsuits that have carried a hefty price for taxpayers — one that stands to grow.
The state has spent more than $38.6 million defending and settling claims against jails, sheriff’s departments, prisons and mental health facilities during the past five fiscal years, according to data from the Virginia Department of the Treasury.
While some of the claims involved accusations of excessive force by deputies, wrongful arrests and other negligence, many of the most expensive cases were filed by the families of those who died while incarcerated, according to court records and treasury data.
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