Projectnola.com

Unacceptable and inexcusable. That’s how Sheriff Marlin Gusman described the deputy who left his post while guarding a suicidal inmate. The inmate later died. The death has sparked a new call for more prison oversight, and that help may be coming from the federal government.

On Monday night, 48 year old William Goatzee asphyxiated himself by swallowing toilet paper. The week before, 51 year old Lawrence Hathorn was found dead in his bed. “He had an enlarged heart. He had several abnormalities,” Sheriff Gusman explained.

Gusman says Hathorn’s death couldn’t have been prevented, but the same can’t be said for Goatzee.

Gusman admits the deputy who left his post was wrong in doing so and he says criminal charges may be filed against the deputy after an investigation. But Gusman maintains the civil rights of William Goatzee were not violated when the deputy left his post.

But Norris Henderson, a member of the Prison Reform Coalition, disagrees. “You've been put on notice, I have a problem, I'm trying to hurt myself. You're supposed to do everything in your power to prevent it from happening. He didn't do that,” Henderson said.

Henderson and others have confirmed to Fox 8 the feds are considering issuing a consent decree to the sheriff’s office because of those possible civil rights violations. The decree would essentially give the feds more say on improvements to the jail. One of the main reasons so many activists want to see the decree issued is because Gusman never followed through on his promise seven years ago, of appointing an independent prison monitor. When questioned about it, Gusman couldn’t say why it hasn’t been done but promised to create the position within a year.

Norris Henderson is hoping the feds will be able to force Gusman to keep that promise and establish the position within one year.