Settlement reached in case of inmate death at North Central Regional Jail

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) – A Parkersburg man named Zachary Bailey was arrested and taken to the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County in July 2019. Less than three hours after being admitted, he died.

His family filed suit and this week they were awarded $1 million in compensation from the state. Jesse Forbes is the Bailey family's trial attorney.

“He did not deserve to die on the floor of the booking area at North Central Regional Jail, and that is exactly what the testimony here showed: He died after gasping for air,” Forbes said.

The Baileys' son, Zachary, was serving time for burglary and was undergoing drug rehabilitation while incarcerated. He was acting disruptively, and a correctional officer testified at trial that he and other correctional officers pounced on him and essentially suffocated him.

The family has been fighting for five years to be held accountable.

“We all have rights, and the problem is that if you just take the attitude that they're going to jail, you can just throw them in there. They're not entitled to health care. They're not entitled to constitutional rights when they're in jail. That undermines the whole system,” Forbes said.

The correctional officer's testimony shocked the courtroom, and the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reached a $1 million settlement with his family.

“This could have been anyone's son. Anyone's daughter, anyone's parents. Here it was the parent of a nearly two-year-old child. He was in this facility for three hours. He was not sentenced to jail. This is a man who was arrested for a reoffending offense. He was taken to jail, where he was only there for three hours. When he got there, he needed medical attention. He didn't get it,” Forbes said.

Forbes said this case could help change the way people are treated in prison.

“We rely on our law enforcement officers to protect the people in their care and meet their basic human needs. If we can't be sure of that, how can we be sure that someone we send to jail will get out? How can we trust the verdicts? How can we trust that bail will be denied? How can we trust that needs will be met when we hear stories like this? It's time for a change, and that's exactly what this family wants,” Forbes said.

One million dollars is the maximum the state can offer under its insurance policy. No charges have been filed in his death.

Previous coverage: https://www.wtap.com/content/news/Inmate-dies-at-North-Central-Regional-Jail-Monday–512502212.html

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