Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

General Discussion

Swede

(39,365 posts) Wed Jan 25, 2012, 03:09 PM Jan 2012

Man spends 2 years in solitary after DWI arrest [View all]

WTF?

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. He was in solitary at Dona Ana County Jail for his entire sentence and basically forgotten about and never given a trial, he told NBC station KOB.com Tuesday night.

"'[Jail guards were] walking by me every day, watching me deteriorate," Slevin said. "Day after day after day, they did nothing, nothing at all, to get me any help."

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10233835-man-spends-2-years-in-solitary-after-dwi-arrest

27 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Man spends 2 years in solitary after DWI arrest [View all] Swede Jan 2012 OP

I'm glad he got monetary compensation but TexasProgresive Jan 2012 #1

+1... maybe a few people. redqueen Jan 2012 #5

Solitaire is torture. duhneece Jan 2012 #2

Don't make me play that game again! If I see one more Queen of Hearts, I'll go crazy! Honeycombe8 Jan 2012 #21

More about Dona Ana... duhneece Jan 2012 #3

They couldn't put this guy in solitary? JHB Jan 2012 #24

$22m is not nearly enough ProdigalJunkMail Jan 2012 #4

This is a real 'WTF' story muriel_volestrangler Jan 2012 #6

No trial? WTF? Quantess Jan 2012 #7

Almost as bad as what's happening to the folks at Gitmo....well not really Cali_Democrat Jan 2012 #17

+1. nt SammyWinstonJack Jan 2012 #25

let's just say our justice system sucks and do something about it librechik Jan 2012 #8

I think that's a generalization. Besides, that isn't the justice system. Honeycombe8 Jan 2012 #16

! Occulus Jan 2012 #19

Arrested in 2005, when cowboy justice was all the rage Blue Owl Jan 2012 #9

Speaking of DWIs get the red out Jan 2012 #10

There should be people sitting in jail for this surfdog Jan 2012 #11

Me too! As long as Johnson20 Jan 2012 #12

Those responsi8ble for this burrowowl Jan 2012 #13

he didn't even get to make a damn phone call shanti Jan 2012 #14

Not totally unprecedented..the US has been torturing folks in Gitmo without trial for over a decade Cali_Democrat Jan 2012 #15

I can't even imagine .... dental pain they ignored, and so bad he had polly7 Jan 2012 #18

He was basically treated the same way we treat enemy combatants at Gitmo or Bagram. Selatius Jan 2012 #20

Fucking crappy reporting. intheflow Jan 2012 #22

Average length in solitary: 2.7 YEARS in one prison in Virginia. woo me with science Jan 2012 #23

This message was self-deleted by its author Obamanaut Jan 2012 #26

Ah the good ol' prison industrial complex at work. Initech Jan 2012 #27