New Mexico Settles Lawsuit for $200K in Wrongful Death of Prisoner with Celiac Disease

Celiac.com 04/24/2023 - In 2016 New Mexico prison inmate Jennifer Harris Hopkins died while in state custody at the New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility in Grants, New Mexico, allegedly after being denied proper medical care for her celiac disease condition, an autoimmune disorder that requires a lifelong gluten-free diet. Staff at the prison allegedly ignored or disregarded her pleas for help, where Ms. Hopkins was serving a four-year prison sentence for motor vehicle theft.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit - "A Number of Concerning Symptoms"

According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her estate, Ms. Hopkins exhibited "a number of concerning symptoms" shortly after being taken into custody, and was even taken to Cibola General Hospital for emergency medical treatment, but was discharged on the same day. Ms. Hopkins filed a formal request for medication to treat her disease about a week later, and filed an additional request to medical staff later that month, reporting symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, anal bleeding, vomiting, double vision, and "intense pain" in her stomach. However, a nurse who saw her in April allegedly dismissed her claim of having celiac disease.

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Ms Hopkins’ health reportedly deteriorated over the next few months, and her abdominal area swelled to the size of a woman who was "30 to 40 weeks pregnant." In July, she filed a formal grievance with the state Corrections Department, pleading for help and writing, "I am malnutritioned and vitamin deficient. The items above can kill me. HELP ME!" She was taken to Cibola General Hospital again for emergency medical care, but was discharged back to the women's prison after three days where the attending physician entered in his medical report “it is possible that this lady does suffer from celiac disease and that she might be better served by the attention of a gastroenterologist in the future.”

However, Harris Hopkins’ condition reportedly continued to decline, and she lost at least 34 pounds while in custody. On September 7, 2016, her condition became critical, but she was allegedly not taken to the hospital, and was instead transferred to the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Los Lunas. Her condition was reportedly dire by the time she arrived there, and correctional staff finally took her to the University of New Mexico Hospital to get proper medical care. However, Ms. Hopkins ultimately died on September 16, 2016.

The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ms. Hopkins’ estate alleged that the New Mexico Corrections Department and others, including Corizon Health, Inc., Centurion Correctional Healthcare of New Mexico, LLC, and Cibola General Hospital Corp., failed to provide her with the care she needed. The state of New Mexico settled the lawsuit for $200,000, but denied liability. A spokeswoman for the Corrections Department stated that the situation began under the administration of former Gov. Susana Martinez.

Inadequate Medical Care in US Prisons

The case highlights the ongoing issue of inadequate medical care in US prisons and jails, particularly for inmates with chronic conditions. According to a 2020 report by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, people in prisons and jails are more likely to have chronic health conditions than the general population, and often do not receive adequate care. The report also found that “many jails and prisons fail to have the necessary infrastructure, staffing and policies to effectively manage chronic illness, leading to worse health outcomes, higher health care costs and more deaths in custody.”

Read more at santafenewmexican.com