Christopher Boose is suing the Mississippi state prison system and its private healthcare contractor for neglecting an injury that ended up causing an infection that required his right arm to be amputated. His case is part of a long, devastating pattern: Black incarcerated people routinely receive little to no medical care, even in life-or-death situations.
#1: Tasha Grant (2025) - In May, Grant was sent to a Cleveland hospital from jail after complaining of chest pain. A double amputee, she died three days later after a two-minute struggle with officers. A medical examiner’s Office ruled Grant’s death a homicide.
#2: Darrell Palmer Jr. (2021) - From 2021-2023, Palmer suffered from a large hernia in his stomach region while imprisoned in a Pittsburgh jail. It grew to the size of a “baby's arm” sticking out of his stomach. He finally got the surgery he needed, but only after years of delayed operations.
#3: Terrill Thomas (2016) - In 2016, Thomas, who died from dehydration, spent over a week in Milwaukee jail begging for water. Convictions of officials from the jail and its health services include falsifying medical records and misconduct.
Once Black people are locked up, our lives become an afterthought — even when the situation is urgent and the harm is preventable. It’s past time to confront and dismantle the corrupt prison and medical systems that target our health, our dignity, and our freedom.