A New York woman has filed a lawsuit against the state after her son, an inmate at Auburn Correctional Facility, was found dead on Dec. 30. The man was found hanged, but it is unknown if the man committed suicide or if foul play was involved.
The wrongful death lawsuit, which was filed in March, is asking for $250,000 in damages and accusing the facility of assault and battery, personal injuries and failure to provide adequate supervision. The man showed trauma on his face, according to family members who viewed his body. The mother requested an autopsy.
The man was in the process of moving to another correctional facility before his death. He was to be moved from Auburn Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison, to a facility with medium security. The lawsuit alleges that the man was pleased about the upcoming transfer. However, the man had been involved in a fight, and the transfer had to be delayed.
The man had been in and out of prison since 2008. He completed a burglary charge in 2010 and went back in prison the following year for a weapons charge. He had served three years of that sentence.
Whether or not this is a legitimate case will depend on many details. If the hanging is declared a suicide, the man caused his own death. However, if someone else hung the man and caused his death, then the wrongful death claim could be valid. The court will decide if the man’s mother should receive compensation from this wrongful death claim.
Source: Syracuse.com, “Mother of Auburn prison inmate sues state over his hanging death” John O'Brien, May. 02, 2014
