Lamar Franks
Lamar Franks was a 27-year-old man who was held at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2015. His mother, Linda Franks, remembers him as smiling and happy the last time she saw him, shortly after he had reunited with his girlfriend, and she said he had no history of mental illness. His family says he was visibly distressed and was moved to solitary confinement without a mental-health assessment. The jail records his death as a suicide after he was found hanging in a cell that was supposed to be checked regularly, and he died after being taken to hospital. His family and their lawyer, David Utter, say the jail is responsible for his death.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). Jail officials record the death as a suicide, while his family and their lawyer, David Utter, say the jail is responsible, claiming he was not given a mental-health assessment before being moved to solitary confinement and that the cell was not regularly monitored.
Reported by: East Baton Rouge Parish Prison officials (the agency that held him); Lamar Franks's family (family or their lawyers); David Utter, family lawyer (family or their lawyers).