VALE-GUGLIUZZI v. LAYTON

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedJune 29, 2020
Docket1:17-cv-03432
StatusUnknown

This text of VALE-GUGLIUZZI v. LAYTON (VALE-GUGLIUZZI v. LAYTON) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
VALE-GUGLIUZZI v. LAYTON, (S.D. Ind. 2020).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION

KELLEY VALE-GUGLIUZZI as personal ) representative of the ESTATE OF JOSHUA ) BELLAMY, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) No. 1:17-cv-03432-JRS-DML ) JOHN LAYTON in his official capacity as ) Sheriff of Marion County, ) JEJUAN WESTMORELAND in his individ- ) ual and official capacities, ) CORRECT CARE SOLUTIONS LLC, ) JENNIFER DEESE in her individual and ) Official capacities, ) WILBERT GORDY in his individual and of- ) ficial capacities, ) FELICIA CLARK in her individual and offi- ) cial capacities, ) MCDANIELS Deputy, ) ) Defendants. )

Order Granting Defendants’ Motions for Summary Judgment (ECF Nos. 115 & 118)

Plaintiff Kelley Vale-Gugliuizzi, as personal representative of the Estate of Joshua Bellamy, brings claims against Defendants Marion County Sheriff John Lay- ton, Deputy Jejuan Westmoreland, Deputy Wilbert Gordy, Deputy Felicia Clark, Dep- uty McDaniel (collectively, the "County Defendants") as well as the Marion County Jail's (the "Jail") medical provider Correct Care Solutions LLC ("CCS") and CCS Nurse Jennifer Deese (collectively, the "Medical Defendants"). (Am. Compl., ECF No. 36.) Specifically, Vale-Gugliuizzi alleges that, while Bellamy was an inmate at the Jail, Jail and CCS staff were deliberately indifferent to Bellamy's medical needs; Sheriff Layton's Jail policies failed to address inmates' serious medical needs and failed to properly train and supervise employees; and CCS's policies failed to prevent

inmate suicides, all resulting in Bellamy's death. All Defendants now move for sum- mary judgment. For the following reasons, the Medical Defendants motion (ECF No. 115) and the County Defendants' motion (ECF No. 118) are each granted I. Background

A. CCS and Jail Policies CCS has been the Jail's medical provider since January 1, 2010. (Marshall Decl. ¶ 8, ECF No. 119-1.) CCS maintains a Suicide Risk Reduction Program for the Jail. (Id.; CCS Suicide Risk Program, ECF No. 119-2.) As a part of this program, CCS staff screen new inmates for their risk of committing suicide. (Marshall Decl. ¶ 9, ECF No. 119-1.) If a staff member identifies someone who is potentially suicidal, the in- mate is placed on suicide watch and immediately referred to mental health staff. (CCS Suicide Risk Program, ECF No. 119-2 at 3.) All jail personnel receive training on how to assist in identifying potentially sui-

cidal inmates and to intervene to prevent attempted suicide and death by suicide. (Marshall Decl. ¶ 10, ECF No. 119-1; 7 Minutes to Save Campaign, ECF No. 119-9.) The Marion County Sheriff's Office ("MCSO") Jail Division Policies and Procedures requires initial and annual suicide prevention training for deputies. (Marshall Decl. ¶ 10, ECF No. 119-1; MCSO Policy #JP1-15, ECF No. 119-9.) First-year deputies are trained on supervision of inmates, signs of suicide risk, suicide precautions, safety procedures, social/cultural lifestyles of the inmate population, and CPR/first aid. (MCSO Policy #JP1-15, ECF No. 119-9.) Annual employee training includes instruc- tion on suicide prevention, including for inmates, identification of mental health prob-

lems, appropriate intervention, and treatment. (Id.) All individual deputies named in this lawsuit have received this training. (Westmoreland Dep. 8:16-25, 9:1-6, 12:18- 25, ECF No. 119-3; Clark Dep. 22:1-20, ECF No. 119-4; Gordy Dep. 10:5-25, ECF No. 119-5; McDaniel Decl. ¶ 3, ECF No. 119-6.) Deputies are also trained and required to conduct "clock rounds" at least every sixty minutes in general population areas. (Marshall Decl. ¶ 11, ECF No. 119-1.) A

clock round is when two or more deputies enter a cell block and walk through to en- sure the inmates are secure and that there is no contraband. (Westmoreland Dep. 15:7-25, ECF No. 119-3; Gordy Dep. 22:1-14, ECF No. 119-5.) Deputies must make visual contact and physically interact with each inmate. (Marshall Dep. ¶ 11, ECF No. 119-1; MCSO Policy JP#2-23, ECF No. 119-7.) MCSO maintains an Inmate Handbook, which contains prohibitions on self-harm- ing behavior. (Marshall Dep. ¶¶ 14-16, ECF No. 119-1; MCSO Inmate Handbook,

ECF No. 119-18.) Inmates are also instructed to seek medical help for mental health issues. (Id.) B. Bellamy's Medical Screening and Treatment

On September 24, 2016, Joshua Bellamy was arrested on a warrant and booked into the Marion County Jail (the "Jail"). (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 23 & 24, ECF No. 36; Bel- lamy OMS Records, ECF No. 119-10.) As a new inmate, Bellamy was medically ex- amined by the Jail's medical contractor, CCS. (Deese Aff. ¶¶ 2 & 3, ECF No. 116-2; Bellamy Medical Records, ECF No. 116-4 at 2.) Nurse Jennifer Deese performed Bel-

lamy's Receiving Screening, which evaluates an inmate's current and past medical issues. (Deese Aff. ¶ 3, ECF No. 116-2; Bellamy Medical Records, ECF No. 116-4 at 2.) Bellamy reported he had received treatment for substance abuse at a rehabilita- tion facility in July 2016. (Bellamy Medical Records, ECF No. 116-4 at 2-3.) He did not report any other medical conditions. (Id.) Bellamy reported having used Xanax and heroin daily and that he had used twice that day. (Id.) Bellamy also reported

that when he has stopped using Xanax and heroin in the past, he suffered from with- drawal symptoms such as an upset stomach and stomach aches. (Id. at 3.) Nurse Deese subsequently conducted a Suicide Potential Screening on Bellamy. (Deese Aff. ¶ 3, ECF No. 116-2; Bellamy Medical Records, ECF no. 116-4 at 4-5.) The Suicide Potential Screening consists of eighteen questions designed to ascertain whether an inmate is experiencing suicidal thoughts. (Deese Aff. ¶ 3, ECF No. 116-2.) Bellamy answered "no" to each question, including whether he had any thoughts about killing

himself. (Id.; Bellamy Medical Records, ECF No. 116-4 at 4-5.) Nurse Deese also conducted a Psychiatric Screening on Bellamy, which assesses an inmate's current and past psychiatric issues. (Deese Aff. ¶ 3, ECF No. 116-2; Bel- lamy Medical Records, ECF No. 116-4 at 5.) Bellamy reported no past or current psychiatric issues. ((Deese Aff. ¶ 3, ECF No. 116-2; Bellamy Medical Records, ECF No. 116-4 at 5.) Lastly, Nurse Deese reported the following as to Bellamy's current mental status: Orientation: Alert; Affect: Appropriate; Thought Process: Logical; Speech: Appropriate; Mood: Appropriate; Activity/Behavior: Appropriate. (Bellamy Medical Records, ECF No. 116-4 at 6.)

Because of Bellamy's reported use of Xanax and heroin, Nurse Deese referred him to a medical provider and recommended a Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment ("CIWA") protocol, which treats inmates for Benzodiazepine and alcohol withdrawal. (Id.; Deese Aff. ¶ 4, ECF No. 116-2.) Nurse Deese also recommended Bellamy be placed on a bottom bunk. (Bellamy Medical Records, 116-4 at 6.) Dr. John Foster ordered CIWA and Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale ("COWS") (treatment for opiate

withdrawal) protocols for Bellamy's Xanax and heroin withdrawals. (Bellamy Medi- cal Records, ECF No. 116-4 at 12.) Dr. Foster also ordered Meclizine (Antivert), Ac- etaminophen (Tylenol), Imodium (Loperamide), and Librium (Chlordiazepoxide) to treat Bellamy's withdrawal symptoms. (Id. at 13.) At 1:50 p.m. that day, Nurse Deese performed Bellamy's CIWA withdrawal as- sessment. (Id. at 23.) She took his vital signs and noted that he was experiencing anxiety and headaches, giving him a total withdrawal score of two out of sixty-seven.

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