Man Spends 2 Years In Solitary Confinement After DWI Arrest

Just found this and after doing a search, decided to make my first posting, besides my introductory post. Please bear with me- thank you!! If I posted in the wrong place, please move my thread and I thank you all for reading my first post.

Link

A New Mexico man who said he was forced to pull his own tooth while in solitary confinement because he was denied access to a dentist has been awarded $22 million due to inhumane treatment by New Mexico's Dona Ana County Jail.

Stephen Slevin was arrested in August of 2005 for driving while intoxicated, then thrown in jail for two years, reported NBC station KOB.com Tuesday night. He was in solitary at Dona Ana County Jail for his entire sentence and basically forgotten about and never given a trial, he told KOB.com

Please go to the link I provided to get the "rest of the story", including his video. While I don't like drunk drivers, and believe they are a general menace to society, this man was completely deprived of his rights, and this I feel could happen to any one of us, at any time. This kind of behavior should be held accountable not to us, who will have to pay that 22 million dollar settlement this gentleman got, but to the folks who decided this man didn't deserve a trial, or even basic care while holding him hostage for 2 years.

I think that each and every person involved in the illegal holding of this man should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of our exisiting laws. Being law enforcement, they knew what they were doing and should be held responsible. They of all people knew what they were doing was wrong, and I believe they had many chances to correct the problem, and just voluntarily chose to let this poor guy sit and rot.

I can see both sides of this issue. Drunk drivers kill people every day. So do many things in life unfortunately. That doesn't mean our local police force can now be our judge, jury and executioner, so to speak. This is just wrong on so many levels!!



Thanks all for being patient while I work through the process of making my first post. Let me know what you all think of this issue and what should be done. Thanks !!

SK

for a DWI?
Sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me

reply to post by SOUTH44

for a DWI? Sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me

solitary confinement is a cruel punishment for anyone.

it's torture.

Even without the confinement his due process rights were violated. Take a look at the pictures in the link.Wow. I say his rights were violated.Seems like multiple firings, including the warden, are in order and a big investigation ofm this facility.

Wow,
Solitary for 2 years for a DWI?! That's just stupidity. We give medical care, food, access to computers, work, and a place to sleep to convicted child molesters, murder's, and rapists, and this guy gets solitary?! That is beyond messed up.

One of my very good friends is dealing a corrupt judicial systems as well right now. Their problem is that they don't have the kind of money any lawyer is willing to work for. Sad Sad Sad.

I would gladly go through that for 22 million dollars

reply to post by SweetKarma


Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

While I don't like drunk drivers, and believe they are a general menace to society,

But I think it's this mindset that had him locked away like an animal...his was a victimless crime.

This is a atrocious story about our so called justice system. If it is in fact true, the people that did this should be punished without remorse.

With that being said, this is a example of very poor journalism/reporting. We seem to be missing a lot of the story. What was the victims history, who in the justice system was involved, what will be the end result of the men or women found guilty of this injustice, after two years he had to have contact with some one who listened to his pleas for help; who was it..... Way too many unanswered questions here.

OP S+F for a well written post.

I could maybe see this happening in a large, overcrowded jail, but Dona Ana County (home of White Sands and Las Cruces) is a tiny little place with a small population. There is no excuse for denying this man representation, a fair and speedy trial, and access to basic human needs such as grooming, bathing, and medical / dental care.

How many other prisoners are still locked away with no trial and are denied access to legal help and basic necessities? I'll bet it happens more than what our government would like to admit.

the one time i was in jail for more then the drunk tank i got left in the court room cells over the weekend when i didnt actualy have to show up to court(they got me out of my cell to go talk to the judge but my lawyer was doing it for me) so they never came to bring me to court and took all the inmates directly back to the main jail accross the street,it wasent too bad as at that point i was the only person in my pod who was speaking english so i got a nice vacation from teleMundo even thought i didnt get food for two days it was still more or less worth it as they pretty much bent over backwards trying to be nice to me when they found me on monday so i wouldnt sue i was just glad the other countie i was in probation in was not informed of me being in a facility(problay be cause i didnt sue ) but to be forgotton for like two years thats frigging harsh figured that kinda stuff only happend to the man in the iron mask

Wow! That's pretty harsh. Then again....I live in Montana currently, and it isn't unusual for me to pick up the paper EVERY DAY and see someone arrested for their 5th or 8th DUI or whatever. They do a little time and get out and do it all over again. There are some here they should lose the key for.

This guy though has a legitimate gripe it sounds like.

So me of these people here in Montana are the ones who should get the solitary, or "special" treatment.

It's hard to believe it took 2 years for them to "remember him.

Where are the good cops?

Shouldn't someone be getting arrested for kidnapping? Come on you "good" cops out there. Show us you are REALLY good.

reply to post by type0civ


I would have to say perhaps you are correct, but victimless? If you are on a public road while intoxicated or distracted from the job at hand, ie:driving, you can very well make someone else your unwilling victim. No disrespect intended.

I do however understand where you are coming from in that perhaps I'm being a bit judgemental. You are right- I have no right what so ever for judging him. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!

SK

reply to post by mileysubet


The fact that it happened in such a small jail is what brought it to my attention, and is an outrage, in my opinion. I will keep looking for more information on this news story and see if I can find any other links to further or new information.

Thank you for your input!!!

SK

I want to thank you all for reading and contributing to my first post. Hope I get better with practice!! I value everyone's input and hope to find more information regarding this poor guy.

Peace!
SK

reply to post by SweetKarma


Usually you are thrown in solitary for being complete D-bag...general threat to the population at large and a obviously creating issues with the correctional officers...however the hole idea of spending solitary which is segregation..not a whole in the ground like we are use to seeing in older movies...even people in solitary are given time out in a yard or in a caged activity area. I'm not dismissing the idea of solitary but I would love to see how many infractions or incident reports were written on this guy..if you are sent ot seg and continue to act out it just gets longer and longer...

Link

Before all the people start thinking alcatraz this place looks state of the art so chances are they have a entire seg unit that is bright and not what the average person or college kid might think of solitary

He wont get the money because they don't have the money, but i think to make it even he should have them throw everyone connected into solitary and the victim gets to run the jail for 2 years with a full salary

I have seen many many American programmes about prison life in the states and I am more than shocked at conditions a lot of them have to live in. It's supposed to be about rehabilitation, not chaining human beings up like animals as some of them do. Granted, likes of child killers and rapists deserve this, but not a lot I have seen for minor crimes are given a life of pure hell. When they get out they will be ten times worse! Don't get me wrong, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime, but this is ridiculous what that guy went through.
The warden and guards should all be thrown in solitary confinement for the same time he did.

I'll sit in prison for two years for 22 million, man I would do it for just 2 million.

It could all be some sort of trick like...

"PSSST Hey Warden, lock me in Solitary Confinement for two years and forget about me and I'll give you 20% of the court settlement money"