Josh Duggar and his fellow inmates may be living in untenable conditions behind bars.
Some reports claim that Josh Duggar received “privileges” in prison. And maybe he is.
But this thing is very relative. And, clearly, some other people in prison facilities don’t have the same experience.
Are conditions truly inhumane, with maggot-infested food being served to inmates? One lawsuit says all that and more.
Are the conditions in the prison holding Josh Duggar inhumane?
Josh Dugar is an inmate of FCI Seagoville. He is serving a 151-month sentence at a Dallas facility after downloading and possessing child sex abuse material.
But, US Sun reports that other inmates from the facility have filed lawsuits over the conditions.
On February 26, 2024, Jua-Deno Peterson sued FCI Seagoville. The lawsuit accuses the facility of violating human rights, citing mental disorders as one of the consequences.
Back in November 2023, Peterson sent an email to a warden at the facility to “demand an immediate end to all inhumane treatment.”
He noted insufficient food, which he alleged was stored along with garbage. He accused the prison of denying him medical services.
The email also describes treatment by staff and a number of other alleged issues, many of which relate to health and safety.
Is the prison that holds Josh Duggar fed with maggots?
In another email included in the lawsuit, Peterson mentioned food being stored next to the trash again.
He wrote that he overheard another inmate “talking about a food tray with maggots.”
The email also said there was “raw filth inside the jail.” The lawsuit seeks $494,658.83.
The court dismissed the suit on May 16. This was not based on his own claim, but because the defendant did not update the court on his address after his release from the Bureau of Prisons.
It’s hard to know what to think about the lawsuit and the email. The inmate’s writing style is casual, suggesting anything from educational neglect to language barriers to cognitive impairment. All of that, by the way, may increase the likelihood that someone will end up behind bars.
Allegations of prisons providing inadequate food are credible. As for denied medical care claims. That doesn’t mean it’s true in this case, but it’s not something that a casual person can dismiss.
Doesn’t it matter if the situation is inhumane?
There is a disturbing tendency to dismiss the plight of prisoners. Prisons are, after all, society’s way of punishing people for crimes.
We must emphasize that there are ethical standards. While our carceral system violates human rights in many ways and certainly leads to an increase in overall crime, the most we can do is ensure that everyone has safe food, safe conditions, and medical care.
Also, and almost as important, is this: Josh Duggar is not a sympathetic person. And Josh Duggar is definitely guilty of various crimes. However, they cannot be told to others in the facility. Of course, there are innocent people behind bars. Isn’t it bad enough that he has to share the same air with Josh?
