A young black man jailed for four months for
an alleged $5 theft has been found dead in
prison, it has been reported.
Jamycheal Mitchell, who suffered from
mental health problems, was arrested in
April in Virginia. The 24-year-old allegedly
stole a bottle of soda, a Snickers bar and a
Zebra Cake from a convenience store. He was
refused bail.
Mitchell’s family have told The Guardian that
they believe he starved to death after
refusing food and medication in jail.
Officials say that after his arrest, he was held
for three weeks at Portsmouth city jail. He
was then transferred to Hampton roads
regional jail.
Soon after, a court clerk ruled that he was
not competent enough to stand trial and
ordered that he be transferred to a mental
health facility instead, to receive treatment.
However, the mental health facility said that
it did not have a space for Mitchell and so he
was held in prison until his death on 19
August.
His aunt, Roxanne Adams, who is a
registered nurse, told The Guardian that he
had become delusional after he stopped
taking his mental health medication. He
refused food and lost 65lbs.
She says that because of his mental health he
did not provide a list of family names for
people to visit him in prison, resulting in
relatives being denied access to him in jail by
prison employees.
“He was extremely emaciated. His mind was
gone because he wasn’t taking his meds, so
he didn't have a list for anyone to see him.”
Master jail officer at the prison said that his
death "is deemed 'natural causes'." Virginia
state officials have declined press requests
for comment.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jamycheal-mitchell-black-man-jailed-since-april-for-5-theft-found-dead-in-prison-10478084.html