SLO County announces $5 Million settlement over jail inmate death

Update: 3:30 PM PDT

It looks like something medieval but this restraint chair is used at jails and prisons across the state to keep jail inmates from harming themselves. Now after 36 year old Andrew Holland died from spending two days in one, it won’t ever be used in this jail again.

In a statement, Sheriff Ian Parkinson said his department realizes it was a tragedy and said: “We are committed to working with the health agency to ensure something like this does not happen again.”

“Only our love for our son has moved us to find a way to redeem his suffering and our loss,” says Sharon, the mother of Andrew Holland.

Holland had been in and out of the jail’s solitary confinement for months. The court ruled him incompetent to stand trial but there wasn’t a bed for him at the psych facility.

Jail staff put him in the restraint chair after repeatedly striking himself. A family autopsy found he died from a blood clot from being kept in the same position, despite the Sheriff’s Office stating he died from natural causes.

“He is a human of value to his family, to his community to all of us and he was completely de-humanized by the sheriff’s department,” says family attorney Paula Canny.

Canny says there’s dozens of hours of video evidence that they believe shows the last 48 hours of Andrew’s life were “Horrific.” “[He was] without adequate food, without adequate hydration, without adequate medication – forced to urinate and defecate on himself, under blaring lights, sleep deprived.. People would be horrified if that was in Guantanamo,” she explains.

Holland’s family will get a $5-million settlement, money they plan to use to help others behind bars with mental illness.

The county also agreed to sweeping changes, moving forward any inmate posing a threat to themselves will get immediate mental health treatment and additional supervision will be given to all those who are mentally ill.

But the Holland family wants something more: “We don’t really wish any ill on Sheriff Parkinson personally – but the ineptness, the incompetency – I think the manly thing for him to do is to resign,” says Carty Holland, Andrew’s father.

No direct response from the Sheriff Thursday on the family’s statement.

The county health agency says it will do all it can to prevent this from ever happening again.

Taxpayers will cover $10,000 out of that $5-million settlement.

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Update: 11:27 AM PDT

San Luis Obispo County has agreed to pay the family of Andrew Holland a $5 million settlement after his death at SLO County Jail in January.

According to a press release from the County of San Luis Obispo’s administrative office, 36-year-old Holland of Atascadero had struggled with mental illness much of his adult life. He had been in custody since September 2015 and faced a number of charges including resisting arrest, battery, and a probation violation.

On January 20, 2017, correctional deputies witnessed Holland striking himself in the face and head repeatedly. Jail staff placed him in a restraint chair to prevent Holland from further harming himself. He was monitored every 15 minutes.

On January 22, 2017, Holland was released from the chair under the guidance and care of mental health professionals but soon became unresponsive. Custody deputies and medical staff were unable to revive him.

The settlement follows county officials investigating the circumstances leading up to Holland’s death. Since January, SLO County has made changes in an effort to prevent tragedy and better serve mentally ill inmates.

“Andrew Holland’s death at County Jail was a tragedy that should never have happened,” said Assistant County Administrative Officer Guy Savage. “It’s clear that counties and jails across the nation face systemic problems as the number of inmates with mental illness continues to climb. We are focused on fixing those problems here in San Luis Obispo County.”

The parents of Holland are scheduled to speak in Atascadero Thursday morning at 10 a.m.

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Original Story

The parents of an inmate who died while being held at the San Luis Obispo County Jail will hold a press conference Thursday morning.

Andrew Holland died in January.

Recent deaths at the San Luis Obispo County Jail prompted a grand jury to recommend the comprehensive review.

A San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury report released in June recommended that the Sheriff and the County Health Agency review of procedures related to relations between the jail guard and the medical staff and non-compliance issues at the facility.

That review has to be completed by the end of the year.

Today’s press conference will be held in Atascadero at 10 a.m.