JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Two more families have come forward alleging that their loved one has not received proper medical care while incarcerated at the Jefferson County Jail.
There have been three deaths at the jail — Ashley Raisbeck, Courtney Tinker and Doraine Stangel — since December 2023. Civil rights attorney Anita Springsteen believes there are similarities between them.
Springsteen filed lawsuits regarding the three deaths and is digging into additional claims of negligence.
“I've become very involved in the lack of health care at the Jefferson County Jail," she told Denver7.
Crime
Families of inmates who died at JeffCo Jail believe there's a concerning pattern
Springsteen said she is investigating two new claims against the jail regarding two men — Justin Baxter-Sudds and Mattheui Esses-Blatnik — who are in serious condition after they were allegedly denied urgent medical attention.
"I got a phone call from my son I want to say roughly the end of August," recalled Hurfrey Baxter-Sudds, Justin's father. "He said, 'I'm not feeling good, and they've had me in the infirmary. They gave me Tylenol, and that's all they've done for me. I've been here, and they're not helping me at all.'"
"According to Justin's dad, Justin was complaining of numbness on one side of his body for almost two weeks before he was taken to the hospital, and his father was begging the jail to get him medical care and was told we got it covered and they really didn't," Springsteen added.
Justin is being treated at St. Anthony's Hospital in Lakewood and has been released from custody, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Esses-Blatnik, Springsteen's other client, remains behind bars.
During a hearing Tuesday, Springsteen told the court that Esses-Blatnik, who is diabetic, had his insulin pump and glucose monitor removed by jail staff. The attorney argued that her client should be released so he can obtain proper medical care.
"I'm hoping to bring it to the court's attention that this person, who is in on a misdemeanor, could be facing a death sentence if he stays in the jail any longer," she said. "He's just kind of a walking skeleton right now. He's not, in my opinion, getting the proper medical care."
Overall, Springsteen is hoping to bring awareness to what she calls a public health crisis.
"I don't understand why we can't look at the problem and figure out how to solve it rather than just deny, deny, deny. So it's frustrating," she said, "Literally, people are dying, and I'm just sort of sitting back and waiting to hear when the next wrongful death occurs. And that's sad."
Denver7 reached out to Jefferson County Sheriff's Office officials for a statement but has not heard back as of the publication of this article. In a previous statement issued in August, a spokesperson with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said in part, "We want to assure the public that the safety, security, and well-being of all individuals in our custody are of the utmost importance to us." The statement continued, "We acknowledge the gravity of the issues raised and are fully committed to upholding our responsibility to the community and those in our custody."
Full statement issued in August:
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office extends its deepest sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones during incarceration. We understand the profound sorrow that accompanies the loss of life.
We want to assure the public that the safety, security, and well-being of all individuals in our custody are of the utmost importance to us. The Sheriff's Office is committed to continuously reviewing and improving our procedures to ensure that every inmate receives the necessary and appropriate medical care. We are working closely with healthcare professionals to address any concerns and to maintain the highest standards of care within the facility.
We acknowledge the gravity of the issues raised and are fully committed to upholding our responsibility to the community and those in our custody. Each of these deaths represents a different and complex medical situation and are not indicative of a widespread problem. In addition to our proactive work to safeguard the lives of inmates in our custody, every in-custody death in our facility undergoes a rigorous independent investigation by the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), which is led by the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Last year, four inmates died out of 16,024 people who crossed through the jail, according to the sheriff's office.
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