When Jennifer Casey Norred attempted suicide at Leon county jail in Tallahassee, Florida, medical staff didn’t take her to the emergency room or provide mental health support. Instead, they strapped her to a chair for 24 hours, according to jail records. The jail’s own policy requires that restraint chairs only be used as a last resort, and not for more than two hours.
It was the kind of policy violation that has become more common nationwide since two private equity-backed prison health companies, Corizon and Wellpath, have come to dominate the industry, experts say.
