PORTLAND, Maine — Taylor Webster was with her daughter on her way to visit James Mannion, the father of her two children, at the Cumberland County Jail. But before they could get there, she got a phone call, telling her Mannion was found dead.
"He was a good father and was always there for his kids," Webster said.
For her, it's hard to explain to her kids why Mannion won't be there anymore. She said that only gets harder when she starts to think about how preventable she believes this situation was.
"You know, you forget, and then you're just wrapped up in life and then you remember for a minute, and it's just like, why?"
Webster's questions started after Mannion was incarcerated at the Cumberland County Jail in 2021 on drug-related charges. He had struggled with opioid addiction and was being treated with Suboxone to recover.
"His life was essentially in the jail's hands to make sure he was safe," she said.
Webster said instead, they put him in more danger by stopping his treatment.
According to a news release from the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, Mannion was found dead in his cell in August of 2022. Webster said she found out later that he died from an overdose.
From 2001 to 2018, overdose deaths in county jails increased by more than 200 percent, according to the Department of Justice. Though one case doesn't speak for all, his family believes it is the fault of the jail and its health care provider, Armor Healthcare.
"His life was stolen from him," Webster said.
She filed a lawsuit earlier this month against the jail and Armor Healthcare, for what her attorney, David Sinkman, called a clear case of wrongful death.
"It's like denying insulin to a diabetic. It's cruel, it's unjustifiable and it's dangerous," Sinkman said.
The Department of Justice has clarified the American Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people who are taking legally prescribed medication to treat opioid use disorder. Suboxone is a widely used drug for opioid use treatment. In 2019, the Cumberland County Jail was one of 15 sites nationwide chosen to receive training on how to deal with opioid addiction and treatment among inmates.
Still, Sinkman said, Mannion's needs were somehow ignored.
"They didn't provide it for James, despite knowing he needed this medication. He predictably relapsed, overdosed, and died, and that's a tragedy," she said. "They should be held accountable for their actions."
That accountability is something Webster is hoping to get, and she hopes it will have a bigger impact on how people who are incarcerated like Mannion are viewed.
"I hope for addicts, to be treated as humans and not just have a stigma, and for people to know their lives are actually worth something," she said.
For Webster and her children, that worth can't be put into words. Her daughter, Olivia, continues to make artwork with her dad pictured and marked her August calendar to write her dad's upcoming birthday. Webster said they'll probably still celebrate it.
NEWS CENTER Maine reached out to the Cumberland County Jail and its healthcare provider, Armor Healthcare. A spokesperson for Armor said they don't comment on complaints that are pending investigation. Sheriff Kevin Joyce, with the Cumberland County Jail, said they are aware of the lawsuit but do not discuss cases involving active litigation.