The family of Estelle Richardson, who was found dead July 5 in her prison cell from a fatal head wound, is going to court in an effort to blame the prison management firm for the death.
A lawsuit filed last week in federal court accuses the Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America and four correctional officers of killing Estelle Richardson, 34, during a ''savage beating'' that used excessive force and grossly violated her rights.
On behalf of Richardson's two children, Richardson's family filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking $60 million in compensatory and punitive damages from the company, the four unnamed guards and four unnamed supervisors.
CCA released a statement declining to comment, saying that company officials had not been served with the lawsuit.
Metro police investigated the case and said Richardson had died from ''blunt trauma'' while in custody in the Metro Detention Facility at Harding Place, Tenn, which is run by CCA.
The lawsuit against CCA accuses the company of negligence, arguing that its officials should have provided better training and supervision for CCA employees.
An autopsy revealed that Richardson died from a skull fracture, but also had other internal injuries. Police said she was the only inmate in her cell when she was involved in an incident with an officer or officers.
Her death was ruled a homicide by the Metro medical examiner's office.
Metro police homicide investigators finished their investigation into the case and last Monday sent it to the Davidson County district attorney's office, police officials confirmed. No criminal charges have been filed in the death so far.
The lawsuit lists four correctional officers and four supervisors as co-defendants, although all of their names are listed as ''John Doe.''
Bart Durham, an attorney handling the suit for Richardson's family, said he looked forward to seeing the injustice he had found addressed in court. The suit says Richardson's civil rights were violated, as well as her ''right to be free of excessive use of force as guaranteed by the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.''
In the meantime, the company has placed four male correctional officers on paid administrative leave, company spokeswoman Louise Chickering said in an interview.
There has been no mention by Chickering or other CCA officials that anyone on a higher supervisory level than the four unnamed correctional officers was placed on leave during the now-completed police investigation.