Lock-up horror! - Woman threatens lawsuit after catching scabies in jail

Star Writer

A St Ann-based woman is threatening to take legal action against the State, alleging that she developed a severe case of scabies while in police custody and was subjected to degrading and unsafe conditions.

Pansy Henry, 55, said the skin infestation spread across her body, leaving her in constant discomfort and emotional distress.

"I got scabies in lock-up, and it was awful. It was all over my skin and even got in my finger and toe nails," she told THE STAR.

The distraught woman said the condition was unbearable, so much that she couldn't sleep. She said the itching was constant that she had to plead for medical attention by the police before being taken to a clinic where she received treatment.

"I went to jail with clean skin and suppose yuh see my skin now. My skin was damaged so bad that even some of the police scorn mi because they didn't want to catch scabies too," Henry said.

Scabies is a highly contagious skin condition caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin, leading to intense itching and visible sores. It is usually spread through prolonged skin-to-skin contact or by sharing contaminated clothing, bedding, or towels, making overcrowded detention facilities especially high-risk environments.

Beyond seeking compensation, the businesswoman insists her case highlights deeper public health concerns within detention facilities that require urgent scrutiny.

"I am going to sue the government as not only do I want to be compensated but matters like this reflects a broader health concern which warrants investigation" she said.

Henry had been charged alongside four men in connection with the theft of 59 smartphones from a store in Spanish Town earlier this year.

Henry maintains her innocence, claiming she had no involvement in the alleged crime. She was freed of the charges on March 24 in the St Catherine Parish Court.

"I didn't steal anything or receive stolen items. I had simply gone to visit someone who was in custody, and later that night the police came to my home and took me into custody. I was charged about a week later," she explained.

She described her roughly six-week stint in lock-up as "hellish," citing poor nutrition and unsanitary conditions.

According to Henry, breakfast often consisted of a fried dumpling and sweetened water, while dinner portions were minimal and poorly prepared.

"In the morning yuh get one fry dumpling and they would come around with a gallon bottle of hot sugar and water and give yuh. Yuh will get a little piece of sausage and that's breakfast," she said.

"For dinner yuh get little tuff rice with piece of chicken back, and if it's strew peas, yuh get about seven peas and half of a chicken foot," she said.

"I remember one day I asked one of officers to taste the rice and him say a jail we deh, suh the rice mustn't cook. All mi appetite gone so when mi family carry cook food on Sunday it's like me can't eat," she claimed.

Sanitation, she said, was even more troubling. Henry claimed that for weeks, sewage overflowed in the bathing area, sometimes coming into contact with inmates' feet. Bathing schedules were delayed due to poor drainage, and at night, insects reportedly infested the cells.

"The place stink bad. I don't know if the situation sort out by now," Henry said.

Attorney-at-law John Clarke believes the matter could have significant legal implications if pursued.

"She has a very good case and it would be a landmark case if she actually brings it, and I hope that she does," Clarke said.

The lawyer notes that the constitution guarantees all persons who are deprived of their liberty to be treated humanely. He explained that the constitutional provision concerning the humane treatment of detained individuals could be triggered by her allegations, leaving it for the court to assess the claims, determine whether a breach occurred, and decide if compensation should be awarded.

Henry became emotional as she reflected on past trauma, noting that this was not the first time she has endured hardship.

She recalled the tragic loss of her children in 2004, when her five-year-old twin sons and three-year-old stepdaughter died in a fire after their Portmore home was firebombed. While she and other family members escaped, the three young children could not be saved.

Henry shared that she still visits a memorial bearing her children's names at Secret Gardens in downtown Kingston.