Relatives of Mississippi man jailed 11 years after being found incompetent file $11 million federal suit
The sister-in-law of Steven Jessie Harris filed a federal civil rights suit demanding at least $11 million over his years in the Clay County jail, naming the county, two sheriffs, a former district attorney and three state judges. Harris was arrested in 2005 on murder and other charges, diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2007, found incompetent in 2008 and held in jail until August 2017. His lawyer said people who cannot have a trial because they are incompetent deserve the treatment they need.
The story places the case in a statewide problem: Mississippi inmates who need a psychiatric evaluation often wait three or four months for one of 15 beds at Mississippi State Hospital, then return later for restoration treatment that averages about ten months and sometimes runs for years. It notes the suit may face hurdles because judges and prosecutors are generally immune.
Source: Relatives sue over 11-year jailing of mentally ill man — WREG (Memphis)
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