Family of Mississippi Inmate Who Died Sues Town, Private Prison Firm

The family of an inmate who died in prison is suing the town of Walnut Grove and a private corrections company, claiming Dennis Earl Holmes was denied adequate medical care before dying of what the plaintiffs believe was treatable diabetes.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, said Holmes he had no known medical problems when he was sent to Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility on a Hinds County robbery conviction in 2007. He allegedly lost 30 pounds over five months of his incarceration before dying Nov. 1, 2007. He was 20.

The Walnut Grove mayor’s office referred questions to the town’s attorney, who did not immediately respond to a message.

The lawsuit claims Holmes complained of severe headaches, fatigue and loss of appetite to jail staff but was denied the medical care he needed.

The facility is understaffed and “there was no jailer or any other jail official or medical staffer present to render proper medical care to inmates or to intercede on behalf of Dennis Earl Holmes,” the lawsuit said.

Walnut Grove and the Walnut Correctional Authority are named as a defendants because the town has a contract with the state to house 750 inmates ages 12-21, the lawsuit said.

The prison is run by a private company under a contract by the town. The state pays the town to house state inmates there.

The Walnut Correctional Authority awarded the contract to Cornell Companies Inc. Cornell Companies was acquired by the GEO Group Inc. in August in a $730 million deal. GEO is also named as a defendant.

“As a matter of policy, our company cannot comment on litigation related matters,” said Pablo E. Paez, GEO Group’s vice president of corporate relations.

GEO Group owns or manages 116 correctional, detention and treatment facilities in the United States with other projects under way. The company also has operations in Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, according to the company’s website.