Inmate Almost Dies After Neglect By Morris Co. Jail Staff: Lawsuit

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — An alleged case of neglect and abuse at the Morris County Correctional Facility is at the heart of a current legal battle between a former inmate who claims he nearly died and several Morris County officials.

McQuacy K. Goodridge, 31, filed a lawsuit against the county correctional facility, alleging that members of the prison staff ignored his medical needs from a serious injury and a blood clot in his lung.

According to the lawsuit, Goodridge was an inmate at the Morris County Correctional Facility from Aug. 15, 2020, until approximately sometime in November 2021.

The suit claims that Goodridge was subjected to racial discrimination and negligent mistreatment while incarcerated. One of the named staffers made daily racial comments, referred to Black inmates as animals and dogs, and appeared to enjoy inflicting punishment, particularly on Goodridge and other Black men.

The alleged abuse included shutting down the tier so that inmates lost phone time, refusing to give inmates toilet paper; treating Black inmates with disrespect, using profane language and constantly telling them to "shut the fuck up."

The lawsuit also claims that staff often encouraged Goodridge to start conflicts with other inmates.

Goodridge claims he tore a tendon in his right knee while in jail on May 4, 2021, when another inmate threw water at him, causing him to slip and fall, according to the suit filed last month in the Superior Court of Morris County.

Dr. David S. Klein, D.O. performed a right patellar tendon repair surgery on Goodridge after he was taken to Morristown Medical Center, and he was discharged from the hospital on May 7, 2021, and prescribed two weeks of blood-thinning medication.

However, when Goodridge returned to the jail's medical unit, he claims he was only given three days' worth of the medication. When he ran out, jail staff allegedly told him they, "don't want to be giving it to you like candy," according to the suit.

The suit claims that while in the medical unit, Goodridge was not allowed to shower for days, did not receive proper wound care, and was not given a compression pump to prevent clots as the hospital recommended.

When Goodridge complained to the desk nurse about his lack of medication, the staffer allegedly told him, "you’re moving around ok, you should be fine."

Goodridge allegedly experienced shortness of breath and pain in the weeks following his surgery, which the jail's medical staff attributed to "gas." A doctor at the jail advised him to "drink water and stretch," according to the lawsuit.

By the evening of May 27, Goodridge claimed he could barely breathe and was experiencing extreme pain and cold sweats while sitting in his cell. He called his family, who called the jail and begged them to send medical help.

Following the call, Goodridge was hooked up to a heart-monitoring machine by the jail's medical staff, which produced an abnormal reading. "Oh man, we need to take better care of ya, huh?" a jail nurse allegedly said, according to the suit.

When paramedics arrived, they used a stethoscope and immediately determined that Goodridge had a blood clot in his lung, which is a common occurrence in people who are immobilized following surgery.

Goodridge "was rushed to the emergency room and diagnosed with a P.E. (pulmonary embolism), a condition which could have easily led to his death had it gone untreated any longer. In fact, the inexcusable slow response of the jail staff put his (Goodridge's) life in very real but preventable danger," the suit states.

Following his surgery, Goodridge was allegedly returned to jail, where his medical care allegedly remained dangerously inadequate, including placing him in a cell too small to accommodate a wheelchair.

The lawsuit, which was filed in December, seeks compensatory and punitive damages for alleged violations of state and federal civil rights laws, as well as the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.

Mark Chiarolanza, a spokesperson for the Morris County Sheriff's Office, said Friday that the office does not comment on pending litigation.

According to police records, Goodridge is currently serving a prison sentence at Bayside State Prison in Cumberland County for promoting prostitution, aggravated assault and witness tampering.

When asked about the lawsuit, Brian Murray, the Assistant County Administrator for the County of Morris said Friday that, "because this is a legal matter, we must decline comment until we have had an opportunity to examine the claims."

This lawsuit comes only a month after a separate wrongful death suit was filed against the Morris County Correctional Facility in connection with the death of a 34-year-old New Jersey man in his cell.

The article has been updated to include a response from the Morris County Prosecutor's Office and the Morris County Sheriff's Office.