For Lynette Madison, the news of her grandson’s death came as a complete shock, since she said the Clackamas County Jail not only knew about Madison’s deteriorating mental health, but their staff are the ones who helped get him diagnosed in the first place.
“If he goes to jail the first time and they look at him and they see how bad his mental state is, then put him on meds, and take him to the State Hospital to get him diagnosed, how can they take him back and say ‘we didn’t know?’” Lynette Madison, told KOIN 6 News.
According to his family, Madison was experiencing an ongoing mental health crisis after his father died of cancer just three months after Madison’s first incarceration at Clackamas County jail back in Dec. 2020, for charges of unlawful use of a weapon, menacing, fourth-degree assault, and resisting arrest.
Court documents show that Madison’s mental state resulted in him being found “unfit to aid in his own trial,” diagnosed with schizophrenia, and consequently released from jail into the Central City Concern LEAD program, which aims to provide treatment and recovery for those experiencing homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse related issues.
