Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska, with Highlands Law Firm, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) for its role in the death of Lewis Jordan Jr, an incarcerated man at Goose Creek Correctional Complex who died of bacterial meningitis in 2023.
While incarcerated, Lewis Jordan Jr developed an ear infection that went untreated for multiple days. DOC staff ignored his pleas for help and clear signs that his condition was rapidly deteriorating. After five days, he was found unresponsive in his cell and was transported to the hospital in a coma. His family made the decision to take him off life support over a month later.
The lawsuit asserts that DOC acted with deliberate indifference and dismissed serious medical problems as the gate-keeper to medical care for incarcerated Alaskans. The lawsuit requests declaratory relief and damages be paid to the family of Lewis Jordan Jr.
