Family Questions Care After Woman Dies a Day Following Prison Release

Forty-seven-year-old Shirley Arnold died just one day after her release from Belize Central Prison, and her family is now questioning the care she received while behind bars.

Arnold first made headlines in June when she was caught driving an unlicensed vehicle. At the time, she told authorities she was rushing to the hospital for dialysis and had no one to help her. The court fined her just $105, citing her health and financial struggles.

Despite her condition, Arnold, a repeat offender, eventually returned to prison. Now, her family claims the facility did not provide adequate care and plans to pursue legal action.

News Five spoke with Virgilio Murillo, CEO of the Kolbe Foundation, which manages the Belize Central Prison, about Arnold’s time behind bars. He said she continued receiving dialysis during her stay.

“All I can tell you is that Ms Arnold came here when she was sentenced, but she’s a repeat offender first and foremost,” Murillo said. “When she came, she was already on dialysis, and the prison did what it could have done. Which is to have ensured that she continued taking that dialysis at KHMH as frequently as they had scheduled her to do.”

Murillo added that Arnold was sometimes difficult to manage, but that the staff tried to provide proper care despite her behaviour.

“Quite honestly, I think Shirley reached a point where she may have just given up. She was very noncompliant. She behaved rather belligerently towards the prison authorities,” he said. “But I’m sure that we did all that we could have done despite all the hostilities and frustration by Shirley.”

Arnold’s family is planning to seek legal action, as questions remain about whether more could have been done to protect her health while in custody.