A proposed settlement (signed by all parties) was recently filed in federal court in Sacramento that will result in the payment of $775,000 from Sutter County to the family of Nathan Prasad, a father of three young children, who died in Sutter County Jail in 2011 after being arrested for a minor parole violation. The family is represented by RBGG. Fox40 News in Sacramento covered the story on April 16, including an interview with Nathan’s mother Mary Prasad: Sutter County Settles Inmate Wrongful Death Case
The lawsuit has highlighted ongoing problems with medical care in the jail, which was the subject of a critical Grand Jury report, that have resulted in the deaths of several prisoners, including Mr. Prasad. RBGG’s Michael Bien provided the following statement to the press:
“Nathan Prasad, the father of three young children, suffered an excruciatingly painful and unnecessary death while incarcerated in the Sutter County Jail after being arrested for a minor parole violation. His repeated medical complaints were ridiculed and ignored. In the final day of his life, in obvious medical crisis, the jail locked him in a room for almost four hours rather than providing medical care or simply dialing 911.
The delay cost Nathan his life. Sutter County officials responsible for the Jail have been on notice for years of the ongoing problems in medical care at the Jail but have failed to remedy the problems. For example, the jail still does not have 24/7 nursing coverage, as recommended by the Sutter County Grand Jury, and senior personnel working for the County. Training and supervision of medical staff in emergency response is severely lacking. No Sutter County Jail employees were disciplined in connection with Nathan Prasad’s death.
The citizens of Sutter County must hold their public officials responsible for the unconstitutional and inhumane treatment of Sutter County citizens, like Nathan Prasad, who are accused of a crime and held in the jail. Jail should not be a death sentence. “