Middle River Regional Jail inmate files lawsuit over CPAP machine denial
Roanoke, Virginia – An inmate at Middle River Regional Jail has filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Roanoke, seeking $2.5 million in damages. The reason for the lawsuit is the alleged failure of the jail administrators to provide him with a CPAP machine during his nine-month incarceration.
The plaintiff, Mr. Fred E. Pryor Jr., 63, is currently detained on two charges related to domestic violence, as per jail records.
Mr. Pryor’s lawsuit indicates that he has a medical condition called sleep apnea. The Mayo Clinic defines sleep apnea as a sleep disorder with potential risks, characterized by periodic cessation of breathing. Common signs of this condition are loud snoring, waking up gasping for air, morning headaches, insomnia, and daytime attention deficits.
Upon his detention in November, Mr. Pryor formally requested a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. The CPAP device, as the National Institutes of Health explains, employs mild air pressure to ensure that breathing passages remain unobstructed during sleep.
Mr. Pryor identifies himself as a disabled veteran. He possesses a CPAP machine at his residence. However, due to existing protective orders, he is unable to communicate with anyone at his home to obtain it.
Documents reveal that in a grievance form Mr. Pryor submitted in June, a jail administrator responded by stating that it’s standard for a detainee’s CPAP machine from home to be delivered to the jail. Furthermore, Mr. Pryor’s request was noted and added to a providers list. In a subsequent grievance from Mr. Pryor in July, a reply from the jail indicated efforts to either order a new machine or set up a consultation with a sleep specialist.
It’s worth noting that Mr. Pryor seems to lack legal counsel. The lawsuit, which he submitted in his handwriting, was officially recorded in the federal court records last Tuesday.
