San Diego County Sues Jail Health Care Providers Over Inmate’s Brutal Killing
TL/DR –
San Diego County is suing its jail health care providers NaphCare and Liberty Healthcare, alleging they failed to provide adequate mental health care to Alvin Ruis, an inmate with a history of psychosis and violence. The failure by the providers’ employees led to the killing of 24-year-old Brandon Yates at the San Diego Central Jail, where he shared a cell with Ruis. The county is seeking a ruling to hold NaphCare and Liberty financially responsible for any damages awarded to Yates’ family in a wrongful death lawsuit previously filed, as well as allow the county to recover legal costs.
San Diego County Sues Jail Health Care Providers over Inmate Death
San Diego County is filing a lawsuit against two jail health care providers, NaphCare and Liberty Healthcare. The county alleges these providers failed to supply sufficient mental health care, leading to the murder of inmate Brandon Yates by fellow inmate Alvin Ruis in the San Diego Central Jail. The claim was filed in a federal court last week.
Yates’ family had previously filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county. The family alleges that the inadequate mental health treatment for Ruis led to the brutal murder of their son. The county’s lawsuit seeks to hold NaphCare and Liberty financially accountable for any damages awarded to Yates’ family and to recover legal costs.
Raised Concerns Over Inmate Treatment
Brandon Yates, a 24-year-old with a history of mental illness and drug use, was arrested in January 2024. He was later found dead in a cell he shared with Ruis, who had a known history of violent behavior. Despite Ruis’ history and signs of acute psychosis, the county claims that clinicians from NaphCare and Liberty failed to hospitalize him or warn custody staff about the risks he posed.
During a horrific attack, Ruis tortured and killed Yates, going so far as to arrange Yates’ body to resemble the crucifixion of Jesus. The county’s claim alleges that the contractors should be held liable for any injuries or deaths resulting from their employees’ acts, errors, omissions, or negligence.
Providers Under Fire
The county’s claim against the healthcare providers comes after a federal judge denied its request to dismiss Yates’ family’s wrongful death lawsuit. The Judge found that the family’s allegations of deliberate neglect by jail staff were plausible.
NaphCare, an Alabama-based for-profit company, took over jail medical services in July 2022 under a five-year, $288 million contract. Within a year, the Sheriff’s Office issued notices to NaphCare for failures including not replacing broken medical equipment, not paying outside hospitals, and using unlicensed staff. The company has also been named in several lawsuits alleging medical negligence in San Diego jails.
Ruis remains in custody, charged with murder. Neither a criminal trial date for Ruis nor a date for the Yates family’s lawsuit has been set.
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