Robert Bracey
Robert Bracey, a 56-year-old man who had ALS, worked as a carpenter and wrote poetry, and his daughter Robyn Bracey remembers him as her best friend and an all-around good guy. He died on June 25, 2022, within a day of being admitted to Bridgeport Correctional Center in Connecticut. His family is suing the state Department of Correction, alleging staff failed to provide the thickened diet and opioid withdrawal assessment he needed, and falsified safety checks and medical records. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner attributed his death to complications of acute and chronic opioid use, and the Department of Correction said it was reviewing the findings of a Disability Rights Connecticut report on his death.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of an overdose (disputed; neglect alleged). The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner attributes the death to complications of acute and chronic opioid use, while Disability Rights Connecticut's report and Robert Bracey's family's lawsuit say staff ignored his dietary needs and withdrawal, falsified cell-check records, and delayed CPR for about 19 minutes.
Reported by: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (medical examiner or coroner); Disability Rights Connecticut (advocates); Robert Bracey's family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Department of Correction (the agency that held him).
Lawsuit: His family sued the Connecticut Department of Correction over his death at Bridgeport Correctional Center, seeking $100 million in damages; no settlement or verdict amount is reported.