Inmate Injured At Vermilion County Jail During Jailbreak Attempt

Personal Injury - May 31, 2023

Inmate Injured After Falling From Roof of Vermilion County Jail During Escape Attempt

DANVILLE, ILLINOIS (May 31, 2023) – An inmate at the Vermilion County Jail was injured after falling from the roof of the jail during an attempted escape.

Vermilion County officials are saying that the incident took place over the weekend. The inmate reportedly broke a window four stories above ground level.

He then attempted to repel out of the window using a rope made of bedsheets. But the rope was too short and the inmate fell to the concrete below.

He suffered very serious leg injuries and was transported to a hospital in Champaign. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

Liability For Vermilion County Jail Inmate Injuries

Jails are supposed to be places of rehabilitation. But far too often they are places where inmates go to be abused and neglected. It is therefore not surprising that many prisoners attempt to escape. According to Statista, “In 2019, 2,231 inmates escaped from state or federal prisons in the United States. This is a decrease from the previous year, when 2,351 prisoners escaped from facilities across the United States. There are a number of steps that jails should take to prevent inmate escapes.

• Inmates should be properly monitored during their stay.
• Prisons should be adequately staffed with corrections officers.
• Prisons should be reasonably safe and secure. This includes having windows that can’t easily be destroyed.

It is possible that a jail could face civil liability if an inmate was injured during an escape attempt. Consider, for example, that Scott Gomez Jr. sued Colorado officials at the Pueblo County Jail after being injured during an escape. His attorneys made a number of arguments as to why jail officials breached their duty of care.

• They failed to make the jail reasonably escape proof.
• They failed to monitor him before the escape.
• They failed to make sure his cell door was locked.
• They failed to take extra precautions at securing him despite knowing he had a propensity for trying to escape.

Any person that is injured in custody may have legal recourse through a bodily injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover many of the expenses that come with a serious injury. Sadly, though, jails will often do everything in their power to deny liability for any incident. It is important that all evidence is properly preserved after any incident.

Investigating Illinois Inmate Injuries

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to the inmate injured at the Vermilion County Jail. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong.

Have you or someone that you care about been harmed while staying at the Vermilion County Jail? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of inmates rights advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.