William Herring Jr.

William Herring Jr. was a 22-year-old resident of Broward County, FL, when he was arrested for sleeping on a bus stop bench in October 2012. During his intake at the Broward County Jail, Herring was identified as being mentally ill and was placed on suicide watch, remaining in a small single cell that was locked for 23 hours a day.

Herring told jail staff that he wouldn't eat, drink or take any medication because “that is what God asked of him,” according to a lawsuit filed by his family. While he refused food and water over the next few weeks, doctors and staff employed by Armor Correctional Health Services, the private company contracted to deliver healthcare in the jail, failed to provide proper medication for his mental illness, despite a judge’s order that psychiatric staff determine Herring’s need for medication “ASAP,” the lawsuit alleged.

Herring eventually spent a few days in a hospital, where he was treated for severe dehydration and mental illness. A doctor urged jail and Armor staff to send Herring to a psychiatric hospital, but he was instead returned to the county jail. “Although Armor's records show that Herring was too weak to stand, they stripped him naked again, gave him a suicide vest to cover himself and locked him in a suicide cell alone,” his family’s lawsuit alleged. A few days later, Herring collapsed. He died after five weeks on a ventilator. He was 23 years old.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the specifics of the case, but stated: “Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony has been very critical about the incarceration of people experiencing mental illness. Despite the fact that the Broward Sheriff’s Office contracts with an outside vendor for inmate healthcare, Sheriff Dr. Tony has highlighted the mental health crisis in jails and implored criminal justice and community stakeholders to seek alternatives to incarceration for this vulnerable population. He has said time and time again, ‘No one believes that the jail is the most appropriate setting to treat those experiencing mental illness, but unfortunately, it has been and remains the primary mental health provider in our community.’” (Tony was not the sheriff at the time of Herring’s death.)

Armor Correctional Health Services did not respond to the Lab’s request for comment.

A full account of the lawsuit—including the estate’s allegations against Armor Correctional Health Services, the Broward County sheriff and others, as well as each party’s response—is available through PACER (Case 0:16-cv-62950, Southern District of Florida).

• IN THE NEWS (Warning: Disturbing Contents)
  • Article One
  • Article Two
• LITIGATION (Warning: Disturbing Contents)
  • Complaint
  • Answer from Armor Correctional Health Services