Janet Little Owens has filed a wrongful death complaint against Delaware County, operating as George Hill Correctional Facility, along with several other entities and individuals, including The GEO Group, Inc., Wellpath LLC, Kristen Grady, and unnamed correctional officers and medical providers. The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on May 31, 2024.
The case revolves around the tragic suicide of Andrew Little, who took his own life on June 4, 2022, while incarcerated at Delaware County Prison. Janet Little Owens, acting individually and as the administrator of her son's estate, alleges that multiple parties were negligent in their duties to provide adequate care and supervision for Andrew Little. According to the complaint, Andrew had a known history of mental health issues including schizophrenia and had previously attempted suicide. Despite this knowledge, the defendants allegedly failed to take necessary precautions to prevent his death.
The lawsuit details how Andrew's mental health issues were well-documented by both Delaware County and Wellpath LLC upon his intake into the prison. It is alleged that despite being aware of his high risk for suicide, he was placed in a cell that was not "suicide-proof" and was inadequately monitored. On June 4th, 2022, another inmate alerted staff about Andrew's hanging motion but due to malfunctioning cell doors and delayed response times from correctional officers and medical staff, Andrew could not be saved.
Janet Little Owens claims that there have been numerous suicides at Delco Prison prior to her son's death which should have prompted better policies and practices from both Delaware County and Wellpath LLC. The complaint references multiple articles highlighting the prevalence of inmate suicides in Pennsylvania jails and criticizes the lack of sufficient psychiatric screening and mental health staffing levels.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages exceeding $150,000 for wrongful death as well as punitive damages. She also demands changes in policies to prevent future incidents like this from occurring.
Representing Janet Little Owens are attorneys D. Broker Lawson R. Muth and Jake D. Becker from Lamb McErlane PC. The case is presided over by Judge Joshua D. Wolson under Case ID: 2:24-cv-02351-JDW.