Man recalls 25-year-old ACI cellmate's vomiting, complaining of chest pains for over 24 hours

CRANSTON – The day leading up to 25-year-old Willie K. Washington Jr.’s death on Feb. 28 was wracked by his complaints of chest pains, vomiting and emergency calls to medical staff at the Adult Correctional Institutions, according to Washington’s cellmate’s account.

Franklin Baxley, 48, detailed roughly 24 hours before Washington was taken to the hospital unresponsive and later pronounced dead, recounting Washington calling for a medical emergency – a code white – three times.

Baxley's letter comes as nine organizations this week called for an independent investigation into the deaths of Washington and three others at the ACI over the last three months. On March 10, a man died after an apparent medical emergency at the Intake Service Center. Earlier this month, another man collapsed and died while playing basketball at the maximum-security facility. Two days later, a woman was found unresponsive shortly after being admitted and later died.

The groups urged the state Department of Corrections for more transparency and accountability in investigating and reporting about the deaths and the string of suicides last year. They implored officials to keep the families better informed about the probe and its findings.

“As organizations working for criminal justice reform and advocating for the rights of incarcerated individuals, we are deeply concerned about both the limited information that the department has provided the families and the public about these deaths and the allegations that medical concerns raised by at least two of the individuals before their deaths were not treated with the urgency they deserved,” the groups wrote to state Department of Corrections Director Wayne Salisbury Jr.

The investigation into the deaths remains ongoing.

“It is crucial to protect the integrity of the investigative process, and as a result, we cannot speak on specific matters currently under investigation; findings lead to discoveries, which help prevent future violations, often saving lives. We are a congregate setting with many people in our custody – we consider any loss of life tragic,” J.R. Ventura, corrections spokesman, said in an email.

Washington struggled throughout the day

According to Baxley’s account, Washington –a friendly, athletic man – was tested for COVID-19 at the dispensary at the John J. Moran Medium Security Facility on Feb. 27 and sent back to his cell after his first emergency call.

Baxley said he awoke at 2 a.m. to the sound of a thud after Washington fell trying to use the toilet. Washington began vomiting profusely and complaining of chest pains before asking Baxley to call a code again at 4 a.m.

He was told that there was no nurse in the building, but that one was on his way back from the Intake Service Center. A nurse arrived a half-hour later, gave Washington some pain meds and told him “it’s just the flu.”

Washington appeared to worsen throughout the morning as he moaned, groaned and cried out in pain. Baxley gave him water and got a wet rag to cool off his legs, which Washington reported were “on fire.” Baxley said he stayed with Washington instead of leaving for recreation time.

Washington climbed down from the top bunk to lay in his boxer shorts on the floor in an attempt to cool off as his whole body felt on fire. Baxley said he called for help again after Washington’s speech became garbled.

`I knew something was terribly wrong’

“At that point, I knew something was terribly wrong,” Baxley said. He banged on the cell door and flashed lights to get officers’ attention.

He told an officer he needed to issue another code white, that “this is not just the flu.”

Baxley helped dress Washington, who reported not being able to use his arms. A nurse arrived and asked if he had been smoking K-2, a synthetic cannabinoid also known as Spice that corrections officials say has been getting into the prison through the mail. Baxley said no.

Washington was placed in a wheelchair and wheeled away.

“A few minutes later, I saw Willie for the last time as he was rushed out on a stretcher,” Baxley said.

Baxley faulted the medical care as inadequate and the attitude toward Washington’s ailments as callous and dismissive.

Nationwide problem with K-2

Ventura acknowledged that K-2 is a nationwide concern, not only in correctional settings but in the public sphere, and that its evolving chemical properties makes detection a challenge for correctional institutions.

“This drug enters prisons through different means, such as soaking letters and/or paper in the K2 substance, which may then be ingested or smoked to get high. The department has addressed this issue by acquiring technologies that allow for our staff to scan the letters and paper products for anomalies. If detected, the item is further tested,” Ventura said.

He said the ACI will soon stop accepting paper mail and move to a digital system that will allow for inmate letters to be read on tablet computers.

“This would reduce paper that is received into the facilities that could be laced with illicit drugs. Our medical staff are well trained professional providers and responders who provide emergency response and triage daily throughout the department,”Ventura said.

Deaths raise concerns

Washington’s death and the others have sparked concern from advocacy groups, including OpenDoors, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, Amos House, Black Lives Matter RI PAC and Direct Action for Rights and Equality.

"The description provided by Mr. Washington's cellmate about how he died is extremely concerning. Anyone not in prison would have gone to the emergency room and been seen by a doctor right away if they were exhibiting those symptoms. Mr. Washington did not have that option. I have not heard any convincing explanation yet as to why he did not see a doctor until it was too late,” Nick Horton, co-executive director of OpenDoors, said in an email.

According to U.S. Department of Justice statistics on mortality in state and federal prisons in Rhode Island from 2001 to 2021, a single death in custody occurred in 2021, with three deaths each in 2020 and 2019. There were five deaths in 2018 and eight in 2017. The numbers ranged from a low of one in 2021 to 10 in 2011. The leading causes were heart disease, suicide and cancer.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cellmate recounts man's last day as advocates raise concerns