Dead inmate’s wife accuses prison staff of negligence

By Matt Volz, Associated Press

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 | 3:21 p.m.

HELENA, Mont. — The wife of a Montana man who died in custody is accusing the staff of a Shelby prison of refusing him medical treatment because he was only a temporary inmate awaiting a transfer to a federal medical facility.

Sherry Flor is suing Crossroads Correctional Facility owner Corrections Corporation of America, alleging the prison company's negligence led to 68-year-old Richard Flor's death in 2012.

CCA spokesman Steve Owen said Wednesday that Crossroads officials are committed to their inmates' health and safety, and their care meets the standards of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Montana Department of Corrections and the American Correctional Association.

Owen declined to comment on Flor's case or the specific allegations in the lawsuit.

The Flors and their son pleaded guilty to drug charges related to a medical marijuana operation run out of their Miles City home. A judge sentenced Richard Flor to five years in prison, but recommended that Flor be evaluated in a federal prison hospital to determine what facility would be best suited for his medical complaints.

Flor had previously been diagnosed with dementia, depression and other medical conditions, according to his attorney at the time, Brad Arndorfer.

Flor spent about four months in the Shelby prison and died in a Las Vegas jail during a layover in his transfer in August 2012. He had two heart attacks, renal failure and kidney failure, and after his death, he was diagnosed with cancer that had gone untreated, Arndorfer said.

While in the Shelby prison, Flor made numerous requests for medical treatment, and his family also called to tell prison staff that Flor was suffering from extreme pain, according to Sherry Flor's lawsuit.

The prison staff refused Flor proper medical care because he was only in the prison until a bed became available at a federal medical facility, the lawsuit claims.

Arndorfer, who is representing Sherry Flor and Richard Flor's estate, filed the lawsuit last month in Yellowstone County district court. Earlier this week, the case was moved to federal court.

Sherry Flor is asking for damages for wrongful death due to negligence and for punitive damages to be imposed against CCA.