JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, USA: In a case that has sent ripples through the city of Jacksonville, the family of Dexter Barry, a heart transplant patient, has reached a federal lawsuit settlement following his tragic death just days after a brief incarceration. The lawsuit highlighted egregious lapses in medical care at the Duval County Jail. Barry, arrested in November 2022 over a neighborly dispute concerning an internet bill, alerted officers to his urgent need for medication due to his health condition. Despite his pleas, within three days of his release, Barry succumbed to cardiac arrest, as confirmed by an autopsy, due to an autoimmune rejection linked directly to his lack of required medication.
This harrowing incident unveiled significant inadequacies in the medical care provided by Armor Health Services, the jail’s former healthcare provider. In response, Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters made decisive changes in September 2023, ending the contract with Armor following an evaluation by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. The commission’s findings revealed alarming staffing shortages necessitating assistance from the Jacksonville Fire Rescue, underscoring severe operational deficiencies.
The settlement, awarding Barry’s family $300,000, marks a pivotal moment in reforming the jail’s healthcare services. Sheriff Waters, committed to preventing further tragedies, has actively involved himself in the legislative process. He successfully pushed the Jacksonville City Council to pass new regulations mandating that all lawsuit settlements involving the jail receive approval from either his office or the city council president.
This case underscores pressing concerns about inmate healthcare rights and the responsibilities of correctional facilities. The tragic circumstances surrounding Barry’s death have triggered essential policy and operational revisions. As Jacksonville moves forward, the overarching goal remains clear: to ensure that no other family endures such preventable loss due to systemic neglect within the correctional system.
