The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

Terry Battle, 55, suffered from hepatitis C, hypertension, gastroenteritis and blindness when he was in the custody of Corrections Corporation of America beginning in March 2007, his autopsy showed. Guards found him unresponsive in his cell June 3, a day after he'd been to see the prison doctor for a bout of diarrhea. The medical examiner said the cause of death was pneumonia.
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His family was stunned. They hired David Randolph Smith, a Nashville attorney, to investigate Battle's death and the circumstances that derailed his chance for freedom.

"It's really hard to accept when something like that is treatable," said Battle's sister, Tammy Williams. "You could only imagine the suffering from not getting proper treatment. The mind tends to run wild. We can imagine him suffering and not able to eat or breathe."

Louise Grant, spokeswoman for CCA, said she was not aware of Battle's death, as with most deaths attributed to natural causes. Grant declined to comment in light of possible litigation.

Nationwide, Nashville-based CCA has faced criticism, lawsuits and complaints for its practices. The death of Estelle Richardson in July 2004, also at the jail on Harding Place, prompted the first public outcry about CCA's treatment of prisoners.

Richardson's death also shed light on what mentally ill inmates have faced at CCA facilities. Locally, a man didn't leave his cell or shower for nine months at the CCA-run detention center. Another lost part of his ear during an altercation.

In Texas, the treatment of detained immigrant families in CCA facilities triggered national coverage, with the ACLU fighting for more humane conditions.

Battle also was fighting for humane conditions — he had a pending complaint in federal court that stated a maximum-security inmate walked out of his cell unguarded and attacked Battle. Because of Battle's death, the complaint was dropped.

Battle was serving a six-year sentence for theft of property. He had a series of theft and auto burglary charges but was redeemable, his family said. Battle learned fluent Spanish during his incarceration and wanted to work as a translator after his release, Williams said.

"He had really seen the light," she said.

Battle became an ordained minister and a de facto advocate for inmates, teaching them how to research their cases, Williams said. Family would visit and buy him items he would later turn around and give to inmates who didn't have much.

"He always shared what he had," Williams said. "He was the one who would give his shirt off his back. The inmates were glad when my mom would visit. They knew he would later give his items away."
Inmate close to family

Battle grew up in North Nashville, attending Pearl High School. He was second of eight children. His sister said he was a bright, intelligent student who made poor decisions later and had straightened out.

Battle called his mother at least two times a day. The week he died, he complained about his illness to his family, but they never heard whether he'd received medical attention.

He was found unresponsive in a medical segregation cell and taken to Southern Hills Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. There were no signs of foul play and no sign of drug history, according to the autopsy.

The family decided to have Smith investigate. Smith has interviewed more than a dozen prisoners, trying to retrace what happened the days leading to Battle's death.

"The fact is that inmates don't have the ability to help themselves if they are sick," Smith said. "It's like a child or an elderly person who is infirm. They can't get to the doctor. We are trying to see why he died in prison."

Battle was slated for a parole hearing this month, according to the Tennessee Department of Correction.