Lawsuit: Nashville Jail Facility Ignores Scabies Outbreak, Refuses Care

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CoreCivic of Tennessee, LLC (formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America) is the defendant in a proposed class action lawsuit filed by a former inmate who claims the jail facility ignored a scabies outbreak and refused to provide medical care to inmates who were affected. The plaintiff alleges that the infection – which is caused by parasitic mites burrowing under the skin – spread among the female detainees and caused them intense itching followed by “scales, blisters, bleeding, and open sores.” The plaintiff says the rash was identified as scabies on several occasions, but that the defendant refused to acknowledge the outbreak and prohibited inmates from discussing it or receiving medical attention. The plaintiff filed seven grievances with the defendant while she was detained, “none of which were ever addressed,” according to the complaint.

The plaintiff says her family reported the incident to the Metro-Nashville Health Department, who allegedly scheduled an emergency dermatology appointment for her, diagnosed the condition as scabies, and prescribed medication. Upon the plaintiff’s return to CoreCivic, however, she was prohibited from filling her prescription, the suit says.

One of the inmates supposedly suffered with the infection for four months before she was released and obtained medical care. Upon the plaintiff’s release, she was treated at the hospital and had to fumigate her home to rid it of the infestation, according to the complaint. She says she and other former and current inmates suffered permanent scarring, lost wages from being unable to return to their jobs, and incurred significant expenses for treatment of their condition and its effects.