From Local 3 News: There is more legal trouble for the Silverdale Detention Center. Two federal lawsuits claim two inmates were not giv
From Local 3 News: There is more legal trouble for the Silverdale Detention Center.
Two federal lawsuits claim two inmates were not given proper medical treatment at least 22 times.
“The allegations in them are nothing new,” said Janie Varnell, who sits on the board for the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. That organization has been raising concerns about conditions in the jail for years. “They’re no less damaging for Silverdale, if they are true. And they’re no less dangerous for the citizens of Hamilton County who have to go there.”
The lawsuits paint an alarming picture of medical treatment for inmates and structural issues in the jail, claiming eighth amendment violations against the right against cruel and unusual punishment.
One inmate claims a doctor suspected he may have cancer, but was not given treatment, despite multiple requests.
Another inmate said he was stabbed in the eyebrow and left bleeding for five hours before he saw a doctor.
“They’re human beings, first and foremost,” said Varnell. “If they’re there awaiting trial, then they’re presumed innocent just like you and I are.”
The jail was taken over by the sheriff’s office in 2021 when CoreCivic ended its contract with Hamilton County. The county closed the jail in downtown Chattanooga at the same time.
Varnell and the association raised concern about conditions in the jail for years even before the county took over operations.
“The county taking over probably had good intentions on how to make it a better place,” Varnell said. “But I don’t think that has been possible.”
The lawsuits also claim the jail had leaky ceilings, standing water, and mold. Local 3 News got a look inside of the jail through Brandy Spurgin, an attorney who was granted access to the jail. The videos she was able to take showed similar conditions as alleged in the lawsuits.
When asked about the accusations Spurgin made about the jail, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said the conditions appear to be isolated to her client’s cell. The spokesperson declined to respond to the lawsuits, citing the ongoing litigation, but referred us to the county attorney’s office. County Attorney Rheubin Taylor did not respond to our request for an interview.
“If they don’t have the personnel at the jail to make sure things like this doesn’t happen, then obviously we’re dealing with a bigger problem,” said Varnell. “What is it going to take to get the staffing that they need?”
