Stephen Slevin, Wins $15 Million Lawsuit After Two Years In Solitary Confinement For DWI, Suffers PTSD, Cancer, And Dental Issues

Stephen Slevin, 58, sued Dona Ana County jail and won $15 million after they forgot about him between 2005-2007 in solitary confinement after his arrest for a DWI. During his imprisonment, the inmate was forced to pull out an aching tooth because of no dental care and his mental health has been ill as well during his time in the system.

According to NBC, Matt Coyte, Slevin's civil rights attorney said, "His mental health has been severely compromised from the time he was in that facility. That continues to be the same. No amount of money will bring back what they took away from him."

Slevin had originally sued for $22 million and will receive $6 million this week and the rest in future installments. The inmate suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and told the court last year that it wasn't about the money, he said it was about being treated inhumanely. Coyte told the court that his client suffered a great amount of mental illness which could take years to cure, "They threw him in solitary and then ignored him. He disappeared into delirium, and his mental illness was made worse by being isolated from human contact and a lack of medical care."

After 22 months of confinement, Slevin was released as a pre-trial detainee and the case was dismissed due to civil rights violations for not receiving a hearing before disappearing in solitary confinement.