Woman seeks justice for her son's jail death

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Patrick Green spent the final days of his life at the Harris County jail. His family says in a lawsuit that his requests for medical treatment were ignored and that he died one minute before his 28th birthday. 

Green was arrested and taken into custody on Dec. 31, 2014, after being found guilty for possession of heroin.

During the months leading up to his death, Green worked in the jail laundry room. He became ill on March 20, 2015, according to a civil complaint filed by his mother Kathryn in June. Court documents indicate that Patrick died just four days later, handcuffed to a stretcher after suffering a cardiac arrest.

The civil complaint alleges that Patrick's requests for medical treatment were ignored and that he collapsed on the floor of his cell before anyone tried to help him. After learning that he died from a treatable illness, his relatives now want to know why he was provided with sufficient care. He died from acute bacterial meningitis.

“The horrible void in our lives because Patrick is gone and worse than that is not getting information, despite the fact that this is public information,” said Kathryn at a news conference on Wednesday.

At least 70 inmates have died at the Harris County jail between 2009 and 2015.