Lason Butler
- Age: 27
- Name of Jail: Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Cause of Death*: Dehydration
- Incarceration Type: Pre-trial detention
- Private Company: Wellpath
- Incarceration Duration: Less than two weeks
- Date of Death: February 17, 2022
On January 31, 2022, Lason Butler was arrested for a traffic misdemeanor. During intake at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, he appeared to exhibit “erratic behavior” and was assigned to the Special Housing Unit, even though “housing an inmate with mental health needs there was inappropriate and improper,” according to a lawsuit filed by his family.
Butler’s mental health rapidly deteriorated and he appeared disheveled. His mother tried repeatedly to contact and visit him; according to the lawsuit, a corrections officer told her that he was in no shape for visitors and that “all we can do is pray for him.” An assessment on February 11, 2022 noted that he was “lying on the floor nude; not eating or drinking; that his memory was impaired; that he had poor judgment; poor insight; limited interactions, lack of self-care, eating, and sleeping; flat affect.”
The next morning, Butler was found dead. He had “fresh rat bites on his body and his cell had no running water,” according to the lawsuit. An autopsy determined that he had died of dehydration, weighing 215 pounds, down from 257 pounds at the time of his arrest less than two weeks prior.
Wellpath declined to comment on the specifics of Butler’s case, but the company’s Director of External Communications and Reputation Management stated that “Wellpath is unwavering in its commitment to delivering quality, compassionate care to thousands of patients across our partner facilities. We are deeply proud of the impactful work our teams provide to vulnerable, underserved patients in the correctional setting and the consistent evaluation of our processes and procedures to enhance our patients' care.”
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on Butler’s case, citing pending litigation.
A full account of the lawsuit, including the estate’s allegations against Richland County and the county’s response, is available through PACER (Case 8:22-cv-02541, District of South Carolina).