27-year-old Nicholas Grant was found unresponsive in his Marion County
Jail cell on Friday night just before 10 p.m. By 10:34, he was dead.

Grant was being held at Jail II on charges of resisting law enforcement,
disorderly conduct, and criminal confinement. Statements have not made
clear how long he had been held at the time of his death, but the investigators
believe he died of a drug overdose after swallowing a balloon full of
heroin. At the time this occurred, 40 Marion County Sheriff’s deputies
were in the middle of a five-hour shakedown intended to rid the facility
of rampant drugs, weapons, and other contraband. Marion County Sheriff,
John Layton, called the death of Nicholas Grant “an unfortunate
deal directly connected to the fact that we were hitting the place at
the time.”

Thus far, the investigation into the incident has involved the Indianapolis
Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), Marion County Sheriff’s Office
(MCSO), Marion County Coroner’s Office, and Marion County Forensic
Services Agency.

Serious Drug and Weapons Problem at Jail II

Layton says he was informed last week of a drastic increase in drugs and
other problems at Jail II, a facility operated by a private company, Corrections
Corporation of America (CCA). He was unable to comment on whom might have
been smuggling drugs and weapons into Jail II, but a former employee claims
there appeared to have been involvement of CCA employees earlier this year.

A military veteran, Gabe Frost, said he felt safer in Iraq than in Jail
II. Though Warden Jeff Conway told Fox 59 News this past summer that the
staff to offender ratio was 1:5, Frost says it was often closer to 1:150.
He quit his position after only two months because he was so often alone
and felt unsafe. During his tenure, there were CCA employees brought in
from other facilities due to chronic understaffing, but after an explosion
of drug activity, he says they were sent back to their facilities for
termination.

Are There Other Victims of Jail II?

The question really is about how deep the problems run at Jail II. How
many inmates have been hurt or died as a result of a toxic culture driven
by drug smuggling, corruption, and understaffing? Prisons have an obligation
to their charges to ensure the safety of those imprisoned within their
walls. It certainly sounds plausible that CCA may bear some responsibility for
entrenched problems at their facilities.

Family members and other inmates claim at least two other inmates have
fallen prey to the dangerous culture inside Jail II recently and similarly
to Nicholas Grant. One father says he was told by an inmate that his son
had overdosed. Joseph Armanno has not been able to get confirmation or
denial about his son’s well-being from MCSO, CCA, or area hospitals.

Krystal Perkinson’s brother, David, is said by family members to
be on life support. The former inmate at Jail II is now in the custody
of MCSO, but Perkinson says the family has been unable to gain important
information about David’s condition.

Marion County is near the end of a ten-year, nearly $10 million per year
contract with CCA. How many people have suffered as a result of this contract
and CCA’s practices at their correctional facility? If a correctional
facility’s negligence resulted in your loved one’s death, the
jail death attorneys at Wagner Reese can help you win damages that may provide for much-needed
family support. Equally importantly, your voice can work toward preventing
these deaths from occurring in the future. Call us today at (888) 204-8440
for a completely free consultation.