Wisconsin prison inmate awarded $295,000 in damages

[dgridley]

While I think even inmates deserve humane living conditions, I wonder about news like this:

A federal jury awarded $295,000 in punitive damages to a Wisconsin prison inmate who was forced to sleep for nearly two months on a wet and moldy mattress at the New Lisbon Correctional Institution.

WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL

What are your thoughts?

[CarolsCritterCare]

I saw the heading and thought W H A T ?????!!!!

The jury found that the mattress used by Reggie Townsend, 29, of Milwaukee, was so unsanitary that it denied him "the minimal civilized measure of life's necessities."

They even state that there was no physical harm. He's in prision for shooting up a neighborhood and killing an innocent 11 yr old girl.

Sad the guard ignored the conditions the matress was in....that's a big whoops

But to award him $295,000 ~ NO.........

Give the guy a new matress and get it away from the shower

[dgridley]

I agree, Carol.. that award is just plain crazy!

Now I wish I'd sued for every bad hotel/motel experience I've endured.. I'd be rich!

[CarolsCritterCare]

OMG Me too...and probably everyone else here.

[keith]

There's a dime out of the pockets of everyone in Wisconsin.

Regards,
Keith

[CarolsCritterCare]

If he's really to be awarded this $$ maybe someone will be smart enough to make is so his daughter gets the money for child support purposes...that she's not receiving now since her dad is in prision.

[dgridley]

Now that makes sense.. I don't feel inmates should profit in any way from their incarceration if possible but your solution seems ideal.

Originally Posted by CarolsCritterCare

If he's really to be awarded this $$ maybe someone will be smart enough to make is so his daughter gets the money for child support purposes...that she's not receiving now since her dad is in prision.