# New Mexico jail fiasco **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 7, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313 "2013-03-07T19:22:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blue\_Mood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/1 "2013-03-07T19:22:59Z")
Stephen Slevin was locked up in solitary confinement in a New Mexico jail for suspicion of drunk driving. Apparently he was never charged, and a judge has just awarded a large (15.5 million dollar) settlement. I don’t understand how this horrible incident could have happened. It seems he was even denied dental care, and had to pull his own tooth. Why did he not have a lawyer or anybody acting on his behalf? How could the guards walk past and not notice him? Why didn’t anybody check on him? This is just too scary to be real. Story here: [Solitary confinement](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/man-awarded-millions-n-m-jail-left-solitary-article-1.1281739) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/2 "2013-03-07T19:28:00Z")
That is really strange. Our county lock up won’t take anyone unless all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed. No way we could get a prisoner past the front desk without a complaint and warrant. What kind of dysfunctional system did they have in place? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/3 "2013-03-07T19:44:04Z")
The county board of commissioners said: > [@](#): > > “Bold steps have been taken to establish Dona Ana County as the model for detention centers and the care of the mentally ill in the state of New Mexico,” the county said. “While **we believe the Slevin award was excessive** , we respect our judicial system and the role of juries to award damages.” Bolding mine. Excessive my ass. Look at the before and after pictures of that guy. Geez. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/4 "2013-03-07T19:49:06Z")
Remind me not to become mentally ill in New Mexico. I wonder what his current state of mind is, if he’s able to appreciate the verdict and the compensation and if he’ll be able to fully enjoy the ease of life it should afford him. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/5 "2013-03-07T19:52:37Z")
Don’t drink and drive. Especially in New Mexico! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/6 "2013-03-07T19:53:30Z")
> [@Blue\_Mood](#): > > Stephen Slevin was locked up in solitary confinement in a New Mexico jail for suspicion of drunk driving. Apparently he was never charged, and a judge has just awarded a large (15.5 million dollar) settlement. > > I don’t understand how this horrible incident could have happened. It seems he was even denied dental care, and had to pull his own tooth. Why did he not have a lawyer or anybody acting on his behalf? How could the guards walk past and not notice him? Why didn’t anybody check on him? This is just too scary to be real. > > Story here: [Solitary confinement](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/man-awarded-millions-n-m-jail-left-solitary-article-1.1281739) Nitpick, the judge didn’t _award_ the settlement, the county agreed to pay that amount. (after an appeal of a larger jury verdict in the case). ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/7 "2013-03-07T19:56:32Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > Don’t drink and drive. Especially in New Mexico! You gotta be careful in those foreign countries. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/8 "2013-03-07T19:57:14Z")
For those who don’t want to read the article and are wondering what the fuss is about, he was locked up for 22 months. Some hangover! ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/9 "2013-03-07T20:14:34Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Remind me not to become mentally ill in New Mexico. > > I wonder what his current state of mind is, if he’s able to appreciate the verdict and the compensation and if he’ll be able to fully enjoy the ease of life it should afford him. Probably not for long. [He has lung cancer](http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/06/17212442-man-left-in-solitary-confinement-for-2-years-gets-155-million-settlement?lite) and has already lived beyond his doctors’ initial predictions. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/10 "2013-03-07T20:48:27Z")
That jail needs to be shut down and a full investigation needs to be made. How could no one at that jail realize that something was not right? ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Mood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/11 "2013-03-07T21:15:27Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > That jail needs to be shut down and a full investigation needs to be made. How could no one at that jail realize that something was not right? Yeah - that’s pretty much what I don’t get. Also, I haven’t seen that any of the employees are being charged with anything, but surely it’s false imprisonment at the least? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/12 "2013-03-07T22:28:33Z")
Considering it was Dona Ana county, is there any chance we can manage to embarrass Martinez with this? ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/13 "2013-03-07T22:59:51Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > That jail needs to be shut down and a full investigation needs to be made. How could no one at that jail realize that something was not right? Having been a (thankfully brief) guest of a couple of jurisdictions, (one in NM, but a different county) I can see it happening. The places are filled with jobsworths who consider their charges worthy of slightly less compassion than leprous cockroaches. Most of them have a strong “don’t tell me how to do my job, asshole” attitude. And I was being as polite, docile, and cooperative as possible. Yes, really. In each case exactly 1 of the 20-30 people I interacted with actually treated me as a human, as in noticing that I was cooperative and not making trouble. Everyone else just treated everyone as a trouble maker. Either the job attracts assholes, or creates them, or selects for them. I suspect the last two. It appears there are individuals that are able to keep some compassion or empathy, but they are rare enough to be noteworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/14 "2013-03-07T23:59:20Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Either the job attracts assholes, or creates them, or selects for them. I suspect the last two. It appears there are individuals that are able to keep some compassion or empathy, but they are rare enough to be noteworthy. I think it’s more likely that empathetic people, upon perceiving the injustices and the way their coworkers treat the prisoners, would burn out in short order. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/15 "2013-03-08T00:56:57Z")
County jails suck in general. You’re usually better off in a real prison. I can see some of what happened. Guards are not in charge of sentencing. We’re not told why a prisoner is being locked up. We’re just told he is locked up and then we’re supposed to take care of him until somebody tells us to release him. So I guess it’s possible for somebody to be locked up months longer than they should have been if somebody in an office somewhere screwed up his paperwork. His physical condition is less explainable. Guards are responsible for the health and well-being of the prisoners in their unit. Even in solitary confinement, there are procedures for prisoners to get things like health care, dental care, showers, haircuts, and toenail trimmings. I wasn’t there. But I’m going to speculate. Slevin sounds like a cell monkey - that’s a prisoner who never comes out of his cell. They have a toilet and a sink in their cell and we bring them food, so you can theoretically live for months without ever stepping outside of your cell. It’s obviously not a good life - you’re supposed to come out for things like showers and haircuts and going outdoors. But the reality is it can be a real pain in the ass to force a prisoner out of his cell if he doesn’t want to come out. If he’s really refusing, you’ve got to tear gas him and have five or six guys wrestle him into submission and drag him out. And for what? To give him a shower he doesn’t want to have? And then he files a lawsuit about how you tear gassed him and beat him up because he didn’t want to take a shower? Some guards get complacent and decide to ignore the problem rather than deal with it. If he doesn’t take a shower this week, we’ll ask him again next week. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/16 "2013-03-08T01:00:21Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > I think it’s more likely that empathetic people, upon perceiving the injustices and the way their coworkers treat the prisoners, would burn out in short order. It works both ways. I can sympathize with somebody like Kevbo who says that 95% of the guards he dealt with treated him poorly. But if he’s honest, he’ll probably admit that 95% of the other prisoners treated the guards poorly as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-mexico-jail-fiasco/652313/17 "2013-03-08T03:35:18Z")
At the very least he should own New Mexico. That is the kind of things that make hellholes look good in comparison.