3 Will County inmates file federal complaints over COVID-19 claims

Three inmates at the Will County jail have filed their own federal complaints that largely alleged the facility provided inadequate protection from COVID-19.

On Jan. 14, Julius Lewis, 43, and Siron Baker, 45, filed pro se lawsuits against the Will County jail’s medical administration while Samuel Mays, 51, filed his own lawsuit on Jan. 19 against the jail itself concerning the facility’s response to COVID-19.

Will County sheriff spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said the sheriff’s office does not comment on active lawsuits and does not speak on behalf of the facility’s contracted medical providers. Wellpath, the medical provider for the jail, did not provide a response to the allegations from the inmates’ lawsuits on Tuesday.

Hoffmeyer said the jail currently has zero inmates with COVID-19.

Lewis and Baker filed similar lawsuits that alleged they got sick from COVID-19 in late December, were quarantined for 14 days and took medication. Both wrote they were still having problems with breathing and eating.

Both men claimed several inmates at the jail “ended up with COVID-19.”

“I blame medical administration because they are taking temps (sic) but not professionally testing the officers or the inmates when they first come in the facility,” Lewis’ lawsuit said.

Lewis’ and Baker’s lawsuits further claimed their temperatures was “97.6, which is perfect” and they still “had the virus regardless.”

Their lawsuits also claimed COVID-19 is “still spreading bad like wildfire.”

Lewis later filed a letter in federal court that said as of Jan. 21, he was sentenced to two years in prison. He still remains in jail, according to the county jail log.

May’s lawsuit against the jail alleged that during his incarceration he contracted COVID-19 “at no fault of my own.”

“The facility did not practice social distancing and no face masks were distributed from the beginning to inmates, only the correction officers were wearing them,” Mays’ lawsuit said.

His lawsuit claimed the jail staff “continued to bring inmates into pods at almost full capacity.”

“Then once the virus hit the officers and inmates started testing positive were masks finally handed out,” Mays’ lawsuit said. “The facility took inmates from one pod that tested positive to another pod and ones that tested negative to another that ended up later testing positive.”

Mays’ lawsuit claimed he still feels “as if I have lasting effects from the virus.”

“I would like the court to look into any wrongdoing by the (Will County Adult Detention Facility) and award a monetary settlement that is just and what the court deems sufficient,” Mays’ lawsuit said.

Lewis and Baker have until Feb. 18 to pay the $402 filing fee in their cases or submit a completed application to proceed as indigent plaintiffs. Mays will have until Feb. 26 to do the same.

On Dec. 2, sheriff officials reported there were 38 inmates at the jail who tested positive for the virus. Jail staff learned those inmates were positive for the virus after learning that one inmate who displayed no symptoms and had been in custody since last February “might have spread (COVID-19) to other inmates within the facility,” sheriff officials said.