Rodricus Lewis spent 10 months in the Union County Jail in El Dorado, Arkansas, awaiting evaluation for fitness to stand trial on an arson charge, despite never being convicted of a crime. He died in late 2023 at age 47, with an autopsy listing ischemic heart disease complicated by COVID-19 as the official cause. His son Brian Lewis learned that his father had lost more than 50 pounds during his detention, weighing only 128 pounds at nearly 6 feet tall—a condition the medical examiner described as “cachetic,” indicating extreme weakening and weight loss.
Part of a Broader Pattern
An investigation by the Investigative Reporting Lab at Yale, titled “Starved For Care,” identified more than 50 people across the United States who died of starvation, dehydration, and other forms of neglect in local jails. Many, like Rodricus Lewis, deteriorated after falling through gaps in under-resourced mental health systems. Two years before Lewis died, 51-year-old Larry Price Jr. died of acute dehydration and malnutrition in the Sebastian County Jail. Price’s family received a $6 million settlement split between the county and TK Health, the jail’s private medical care provider. TK Health also provides services at Union County Jail, where Lewis died.
Mental Health Crisis in Jails
Rodricus Lewis is one of 34 people who died in Arkansas jails in 2023. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, nearly half of people incarcerated in local jails have a history of mental illness, and in the U.S., people with mental illnesses are 10 times more likely to be incarcerated than hospitalized. More than 1 million Arkansans live in communities without enough mental health professionals. In 2023, the Union County Jail had a daily average population of 185, exceeding its operational capacity of about 180, with peaks reaching 210.
Lewis filed at least 40 grievances during his detention. After a July 2023 crisis consultation revealed schizophrenia spectrum disorders and that he was “gravely disabled,” he was admitted to The BridgeWay psychiatric facility in Little Rock on July 29. Records indicate a 45-day hold was planned, but he was returned to jail on August 3. His family’s lawsuit alleges that nine prescribed medications were never administered after his discharge.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/jailed-crisis-rodricus-lewis-needed-mental-health-care-he-died-solitary-cell