Newest Jail Scabies Lawsuit Alleges Outbreak Started Last Fall

NASHVILLE, TN — The scabies outbreak plaguing a privately-run Nashville detention facility began last fall, according to the newest lawsuit filed in connection with the ongoing epidemic.

The lawsuit, filed Monday afternoon on behalf of the male inmates at the 1,300-bed facility on Harding Pike run by CoreCivic — formerly Correction Corporation of America, says that the itchy rash, common in jails, prison and dormitories, began to spread last October, far earlier than CoreCivic has claimed. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

The suit, filed as a "John Doe" case, says that the plaintiff entered the facility in August to serve a DUI sentence and that he had the infection caused by the human itch mite by October and that at least 40 male inmates were infected by December.

Doe claims that his and other inmates complaints were ignored and that upon his first health screening — more than two months after his sentence began — the doctor diagnosed him with contact dermatitis. In December, Doe was given a trusty position and noticed that scabies was prevalent throughout the men's half of the prison. He said he was able to get treatment in January by reminding jail officials his duties as a trusty often took him in and around jail administrators. That treatment, however, did not work, nor did another he received in March, according to the suit.

The suit also claims that one inmate had a mental breakdown due to lack of sleep caused by the itching and that he was sent to solitary confinement. Doe also alleges that proper care was not taken to prevent the spread of infection; for example, clothes were not washed at the proper temperature and blankets would often go two to three months between washings.

Doe also alleges that the Metro Health Department was informed about the outbreak in January and did nothing. Doe's suit is the third filed, joining one on behalf of the female inmates and one on behalf of courthouse employees who have been infected.

Image via Centers for Disease Control and Prevention