In 2014, Josh Palmintier filed a suit for the Cousin family against St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain, the jail and jail employees claiming the wrongful death of their mother, Treshon Cousin. Cousin hung herself with a telephone cord in a holding cell three days after being arrested for an attachment warrant. Palmintier argues that the suicide of the mother of two could have been easily prevented had the proper measures taken place. According to the 2012 Department of Justice Report, the jail violated prisoners’ civil rights by not providing adequate mental health care or substantial suicide prevention measures. In a telephone interview, Palmintier says, “There is a culture of indifference for the health and safety of people that enter the jail. This culture of indifference this time caused the death of a mother of two young children and the daughter of a loving father. That is really the crux of our argument. This is not an accident. It could have been avoided.” According to the lawsuit, the telephone cord that she used to hang herself was 30 inches long. Palmintier explained that the jail either knew or should have known the potential suicide risk that such a long cord entails. The family of Treshon Cousin is seeking multiple damages, including medical and funeral expenses, alongside the request of a jury trial.
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