Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

County sued for ignoring jumper's history

Sheriff's dept. had adequate warning about schizophrenic inmate

San Diego Central Jail
San Diego Central Jail

The father of a mentally ill inmate who was seriously injured after jumping from a second floor at San Diego's Central Jail has filed a lawsuit against the County of San Diego.

Jonathan Thomas jumped on November 6, 2014, less than one month after being transferred from Atascadero State Hospital for a routine court hearing. Attorneys for Dave Thomas, Jonathan's father, say prison officials were warned of the inmate's schizophrenic disorder and that, given the opportunity, he would jump or try to hurt himself in order to get away from the voices in his head. The lawsuit notes that Thomas had jumped from a second story in 2008 while incarcerated at George F. Bailey Detention Facility.

History of an Inner Hell

Thomas has had a long battle with mental illness. According to the lawsuit, doctors diagnosed him as schizoaffective at the age of seven. The voices in his head were constantly chattering. He obsessed that the Central Intelligence Agency was eavesdropping on him. At the same time, a voice he identified as Satan gave him orders to hurt himself and others.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Inside George F. Bailey Detention Facility

In 2008, after being admitted to a group home, Thomas set fire to a couch inside the building. No one was injured. Thomas was arrested and taken to George Bailey to await sentencing. While there, he leapt over the second-story railing, breaking both heels and spraining his back. A jury later sentenced him to three years of prison for his role in the arson.

Thomas was then taken to Atascadero State Hospital, where he remained until the transfer to Central Jail before his November 2014 hearing. Upon his transfer, his father, as well as a family friend, warned prison officials that Thomas was schizophrenic and suffered from severe bipolar disorder. His father told prison staff that his son was likely to jump from over railings to try and hurt himself. The complaint says officials didn't heed his advice.

On November 6, 2014, Thomas jumped from the second story, breaking his back, both ankles, right tibia, and fracturing his pelvis.

When asked why Thomas was not properly housed, prison officials said they weren't "equipped to handle this situation."

So Much for the Information Age...

In the lawsuit, attorneys for Thomas declare that San Diego's chief medical officer for the sheriff's detention services says 28 percent of inmates suffer from some sort of mental illness or psychological disorders. The lawsuit also claims that federal Bureau of Justice Statistics peg San Diego detention facilities as having the second highest rate of suicide when compared with other large counties. For that reason alone, Thomas says there needs to be a policy in place.

"A complete failure to incorporate information gathering and sharing systems is also deliberately indifferent to inmates such as Jonathan, inmates who were transferred from mental hospitals or who suffer from multiple complicated mental and behavioral disorders compounded with previous suicide attempts while being incarcerated.

“A policy requiring inter-agency communication would have ensured that [Atascadero State Hospital], George Bailey and Central would gather and share records and information relevant to Jonathan’s mental health and safety. Due to the county’s total lack of a policy accounting for adequate sharing techniques regarding proper housing classifications, treatments and evaluations of patients suffering from disorders that are known to cause harm to the patient or to others, Jonathan’s mental and medical conditions were deliberately ignored which directly lead to Jonathan’s injuries. This failure directly led to Jonathan’s ability to harm himself – again"

Thomas is suing for general and special damages as a result of the lack of policy.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Yellowtail show off La Jolla, Big tuna south

Spiny lobster doing well
Next Article

The greatest symphonist of them all

Havergal Brian wrote over 30 of them
San Diego Central Jail
San Diego Central Jail

The father of a mentally ill inmate who was seriously injured after jumping from a second floor at San Diego's Central Jail has filed a lawsuit against the County of San Diego.

Jonathan Thomas jumped on November 6, 2014, less than one month after being transferred from Atascadero State Hospital for a routine court hearing. Attorneys for Dave Thomas, Jonathan's father, say prison officials were warned of the inmate's schizophrenic disorder and that, given the opportunity, he would jump or try to hurt himself in order to get away from the voices in his head. The lawsuit notes that Thomas had jumped from a second story in 2008 while incarcerated at George F. Bailey Detention Facility.

History of an Inner Hell

Thomas has had a long battle with mental illness. According to the lawsuit, doctors diagnosed him as schizoaffective at the age of seven. The voices in his head were constantly chattering. He obsessed that the Central Intelligence Agency was eavesdropping on him. At the same time, a voice he identified as Satan gave him orders to hurt himself and others.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Inside George F. Bailey Detention Facility

In 2008, after being admitted to a group home, Thomas set fire to a couch inside the building. No one was injured. Thomas was arrested and taken to George Bailey to await sentencing. While there, he leapt over the second-story railing, breaking both heels and spraining his back. A jury later sentenced him to three years of prison for his role in the arson.

Thomas was then taken to Atascadero State Hospital, where he remained until the transfer to Central Jail before his November 2014 hearing. Upon his transfer, his father, as well as a family friend, warned prison officials that Thomas was schizophrenic and suffered from severe bipolar disorder. His father told prison staff that his son was likely to jump from over railings to try and hurt himself. The complaint says officials didn't heed his advice.

On November 6, 2014, Thomas jumped from the second story, breaking his back, both ankles, right tibia, and fracturing his pelvis.

When asked why Thomas was not properly housed, prison officials said they weren't "equipped to handle this situation."

So Much for the Information Age...

In the lawsuit, attorneys for Thomas declare that San Diego's chief medical officer for the sheriff's detention services says 28 percent of inmates suffer from some sort of mental illness or psychological disorders. The lawsuit also claims that federal Bureau of Justice Statistics peg San Diego detention facilities as having the second highest rate of suicide when compared with other large counties. For that reason alone, Thomas says there needs to be a policy in place.

"A complete failure to incorporate information gathering and sharing systems is also deliberately indifferent to inmates such as Jonathan, inmates who were transferred from mental hospitals or who suffer from multiple complicated mental and behavioral disorders compounded with previous suicide attempts while being incarcerated.

“A policy requiring inter-agency communication would have ensured that [Atascadero State Hospital], George Bailey and Central would gather and share records and information relevant to Jonathan’s mental health and safety. Due to the county’s total lack of a policy accounting for adequate sharing techniques regarding proper housing classifications, treatments and evaluations of patients suffering from disorders that are known to cause harm to the patient or to others, Jonathan’s mental and medical conditions were deliberately ignored which directly lead to Jonathan’s injuries. This failure directly led to Jonathan’s ability to harm himself – again"

Thomas is suing for general and special damages as a result of the lack of policy.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

How to make a hit Christmas song

Feeling is key, but money helps too
Next Article

The greatest symphonist of them all

Havergal Brian wrote over 30 of them
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader