Written by: Sam Orlando
ROANOKE, VA — A lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia on September 25, 2023, exposing a series of concerning incidents at the Southwest Virginia Duffield Regional Jail. Inmate William Lee Nickens, in his federal lawsuit, alleges that the jail's staff exposed him to dangerously unsanitary conditions and denied him a diet based on his religious beliefs.
The complaint filed by Nickens states that he was held in a cell in Duffield Medical wing 8A which had its walls smeared with feces by a previous inmate. Despite his repeated requests to be moved or have the cell cleaned, Nickens claims he was kept in the unsanitary environment for four days. He further alleges that certain jail staff, including Ronald Spurlock and Adam Haley, ridiculed and belittled him when he raised concerns about the conditions.
In addition to these distressing allegations regarding cleanliness, Nickens claims that he was denied a diet based on his religious beliefs, which the jail had reportedly provided in previous years. LT Gullett and the jail's food service are named as denying Nickens this diet.
Nickens seeks a sum of one million dollars in damages and demands the termination of the named parties at the end of the trial.
The lawsuit brings to light a series of grave concerns regarding the treatment of inmates in correctional facilities, invoking questions about inmate rights and the duty of care expected from those in charge.
The Duffield Regional Jail Authority, and the named defendants in the lawsuit have not yet commented on the allegations.
This story is developing, and updates will be provided as the Defendants file answers or other motions related to Nicken's complaint.
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