In 2022, deaf-mute Jawaric Gant was strangled to death by fellow inmate Gordon Stallen at Baltimore Central Prison in Maryland. Recently, his family filed a lawsuit, accusing the prison of gross negligence in management. The lawsuit claims that Gant, due to his hearing impairment and inability to communicate effectively, should have received special protection but was instead arranged to live with a first-degree murder suspect with obvious violent tendencies. Stallen was awaiting trial for the “axe murder case” at that time and had previously raised the alarm for attacking other inmates. However, the prison still held Gant, who weighed only 100 pounds (45 kilograms), with him, eventually leading to the tragedy.
Gant’s family pointed out that the prison system failed to provide reasonable placement based on his disability and that many distress signals were ignored before his murder. It is recorded that Gant once reported being bullied through sign language, but was only simply transferred to Stallen’s cell. On the night of the crime, other prisoners heard Gant knocking on the cell door for help, but it was several hours later that the correctional officers discovered his death. Stallen eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment, but Gant’s father said the prison had never provided a reasonable explanation for the incident and the family has yet to obtain key information.
The lawsuit accused the Maryland Department of dereliction of duty and demanded compensation of more than 50 million US dollars. Gant was detained in 2019 for a minor family dispute case, but was held in long-term custody for missing the court date. His lawyer emphasized that the judicial system failed to provide the necessary support for the deaf-mute person, which prevented him from dealing with legal procedures. This case has raised widespread doubts about prison management and the rights and interests of people with disabilities. The families have called for a thorough investigation and to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
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