Shirley Arnold’s Family Seeks Justice After Prison Release Ends in Tragedy

The family of Shirley Arnold has come forward with more details on her death and plans to take legal action against the Belize Central Prison. On Tuesday, just hours after leaving the facility, the forty-seven-year-old woman passed away while receiving care at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Back in June, Arnold made headlines when she was caught driving an unlicensed vehicle and garnered public sympathy when she explained that she was on her way to the hospital for dialysis treatment and had no one to help her.  At the time, the court chose to fine her instead of sending her to prison, but she later landed behind bars when she was unable to provide medical documentation. Her family is now speaking out, arguing that she should never have been imprisoned given her fragile health, nor kept there for as long as she was. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story. 

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Four months, that’s how long forty-seven-year-old Shirley Arnold spent behind bars before she died on November twenty-fifth. Arnold, who suffered from diabetes and kidney disease, was serving a prison sentence for multiple unpaid fines she had accumulated. She passed away just one day after being released from prison, prompting concerns about whether Arnold had received adequate medical care during her incarceration. Her family claims the treatment was not sufficient, but Virgilio Murillo, Chief Executive Officer of the Kolbe Foundation, insists that the prison did everything possible to care for her.

 

On the Phone: Virgilio Murillo, Chief Executive Officer, Kolbe Foundation
“She continued taking that dialysis at KHMH as frequently as they had scheduled her to do which I think if my memory serves me well, was at least twice a week, if not three times. So we carried on with the with the regimen that she was on prior to coming to prison, ensuring that she goes on her dialysis. The prison provided her with all her anti-diabetic medication. There were times when she was doing bad, so we had to transfer her to KHMH where she was hospitalized more often than not. So I guess there were not much we could have done.”

 

Arnold, who had been remanded to prison several times over the past two decades, was fighting kidney disease at the time of her death. Her brother, Joshue Bermudez, argues that she should never have been incarcerated given her health condition and believes the prison could have taken steps to secure her early release.

 

Voice of: Joshue Bermudez, Brother of Deceased

“That was not enough. That was not enough. She wasn’t getting the proper care. None at all. Because central prison, neyself  say that they don’t have medical like that for deal with her. So they have to rush through the hospital every minute. My sister made the mi di come da hospital at for the month, like only one time for the month. Only one time for the month. With her situation that medical where she have to do that da noh only one time for the month, like every two weeks you have to do that.”

 

Bermudez further asserts that his sister was not formally released from prison but was instead rushed to the hospital only after her condition had severely deteriorated. He explains that the family only learned that she was out after she had died.

 

Voice of: Joshue Bermudez

“They didn’t release her none at all. Because if she mi get released, she never mi wa have no prison officer along with her. Because when I reached the hospital to try and find out what happened, the prison officer, ney di left. So how unu wa seh release somebody and unu still have prison officers di hold her.”

 

According to Murillo, Arnold was not approved for parole back in September as they did not see her fit to reenter society. He claims that she was allowed to be released due to her declining health.

 

On the Phone: Virgilio Murillo

“Because I saw that her health was deteriorating, I just thought that, she needs to go home and try to be with her family. So I sent her home on Monday.”

 

Many in the public are questioning whether Arnold should have been remanded to prison at all, given her health condition, even as a repeat offender. As for her family, they are now considering taking legal action against the prison for what they claim was an injustice.

 

Voice of: Joshue Bermudez

“They fail her, the judge fail her, the prison fail her. Because no human no deserve fi deh inna da condition like that and deh backa prison. She da no mi wa murderer. She was not a murderer. All her charges about theft only, she’s not a murderer. So I don’t understand why they couldn’t have sympathy to say, okay, we done have her four months. They see your condition. They could have me release her before it reach to this situation.”

 

Murillo further claims that Arnold had been non-compliant and difficult to work with during her time at the prison. Despite this, he maintains that she was afforded the best treatment they were able to facilitate.

 

On the Phone: Virgilio Murillo

“She was definitely being offered and being provided with the best possible medical care that we could have offered. And like I tell you, we do not discriminate against prisoners based on their legal status. That’s not what, that’s not the business we are into.”

 

Murillo stated that he is ready to take the matter to court if the family pursues legal action, leaving it to the judge to decide whether the prison mishandled or neglected Arnold’s care. Britney Gordon for News Five.