Multiple Articles Regarding the Death of Bryan D. Alexander at Cold Springs Correctional Facility, Fort Worth, Texas

Cold Springs Correctional Facility (Mansfield Boot Camp), Fort Worth, Texas

October 22, 2005 Sarasota Herald Tribune

Correctional Services Corp. has settled a $38.3 million judgment that held the company responsible for the death of an 18-year-old inmate at a Texas boot camp. Terms of the agreement are confidential, but the Sarasota-based prison manager said Friday it will pay $2.7 million toward the settlement. The rest will be covered by CSC's liability insurers, which initially balked at paying the award. The agreement is contingent on the closing of CSC's previously announced sale to The GEO Group Inc. for $62 million. CSC shareholders will vote on the sale Nov. 4. If that deal falls through, so does the settlement. A Texas jury in August 2003 found CSC and a nurse at the now-closed Mansfield boot camp responsible for the death of Bryan D. Alexander. Alexander, serving a six-month sentence for a misdemeanor driving conviction, died in 2001 of a rare penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia. Trial testimony showed he was treated for a cold and flu even though he had coughed up blood for five days before his death. His parents sued CSC and nurse Knyvett Reyes for their loss and anguish. Reyes was convicted of negligent homicide and was sentenced to four years of community supervision. She also surrendered her registered nurse's license. The judgment against CSC and Reyes included $35 million in actual damages, $750,000 in punitive damages and more than $2.4 million in interest. The settlement will resolve all claims and lawsuits against CSC and Reyes. It also will end a dispute between CSC and its liability insurers over who should pay. Boca Raton-based GEO is paying $62 million in cash, or $6 a share, and assuming $124 million in liabilities to acquire CSC. It will then sell the Youth Services International subsidiary to CSC president James Slattery for $3.75 million. That unit manages programs at 17 centers with 1,300 beds. GEO will acquire the adult division that owns or operates 15 facilities with 7,500 beds. GEO manages 41 prisons and jails with 36,000 beds in the United States, Australia, South Africa and Canada. Shares of CSC were selling for $5.91 on the Nasdaq at the close of trading Friday, up 1 cent.

 

October 22, 2005 NEWS8 Austin

The corporate parent of a now-defunct Mansfield detention facility has reached an out-of-court settlement with the family of a teenager who died while serving time at its boot camp. Correctional Services Corp. announced the settlement yesterday with the family of Bryan Alexander. The 18-year-old died in 2001 while serving a six-month sentence for a drunken-driving arrest. Alexander's family was awarded nearly $40 million in damages by a Tarrant County jury in 2003. But the details of Friday's settlement have not been released. Under the agreement, the boy's family will not file any new suits or pursue appeals against Tarrant County or its criminal-court judges. The boy's parents sued the company and camp nurse after he died from penicillin-resistant pneumonia. Although the teen complained of weakness and was coughing up blood, the camp had waited several days before taking him to a hospital. The suit claimed the camp and nurse failed to provide the teen with adequate and timely medical care.

 

September 30, 2005 Star-Telegram

U.S. District Court Judge Terry Means on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against Tarrant County and its criminal court judges over the death of a teen-ager who was serving a sentence at the former Mansfield boot camp four years ago. Means left the door open for attorneys representing the family of Bryan Alexander to sue the judges in state court. A lawsuit against the county has been thrown out of state court. Alexander, 18, died in January 2001 while serving a six-month sentence for drunken driving. While at the camp, he complained of feeling weak and coughing up blood. Days later, he was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he was immediately put into intensive care. He died two days later. Tests indicated that he had a rare, penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia. In the federal lawsuit, Alexander's family said the county, and the judges individually, should be held liable because they didn't properly monitor Correctional Services Corp., the company contracted to run the camp. A year ago, Means denied the judges judicial immunity, saying they were acting not as judges but as managers of the facility. But in his ruling Wednesday, Means said public officials do enjoy immunity from lawsuits for damages providing that their conduct does not clearly violate an individual's rights.

 

February 10, 2005 Star Telegram

Several Tarrant County judges sued over a death at the defunct boot camp are being accused of unethical behavior for considering cases involving the attorneys who are suing them. Defense attorneys Charlie Smith and Bill Lane say that state district judges Sharen Wilson and George Gallagher have decided that they will not automatically transfer those cases to other courts. Since January 2003, the judges have routinely transferred cases handled by Smith and Lane to other courts after the attorneys filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against them and the county. In the federal lawsuit, the attorneys say that sloppy oversight by the judges allowed an array of problems to continue at the former Mansfield boot camp, where 18-year-old inmate Bryan Alexander died. Lane and Smith are among several attorneys representing the Alexander family. U.S. District Judge Terry Means ruled in August that the judges can be held liable individually, along with the county, because they were acting as managers of the facility operated by Correctional Services Corp. Smith filed a motion to remove Wilson from hearing a felony theft case on Tuesday. In the filing, he described the judge's decision to deny a transfer as "clear evidence" of hostility toward him. Denying Smith's motion "creates a reasonable doubt as to Judge Sharen Wilson's capacity to act impartially as a judge in connection with this case," court documents state.

 

August 27, 2004

Tarrant County's criminal court judges are not protected by judicial immunity in a civil rights lawsuit stemming from the death of a teen-ager at the former Mansfield boot camp, a federal judge ruled.  U.S. District Court Judge Terry Means said the judges can be held liable individually, along with the county, because they were acting not as judges, but as managers of the facility operated by Correctional Services Corp.  The judges helped establish the budgets and approved the selection of the private prison operator "in spite of a significant history of operational deficiencies," attorneys for the teen-ager's family have argued. "The court concludes that the defendant judges are not entitled to judicial immunity," Means wrote this week.  "It's huge," Mark Haney, the family's attorney, said of Means' ruling. "The judges can be held personally accountable for establishing policies and procedures ... that routinely denied access to medical care to the detainees."  In July, Means denied a claim by Northland Insurance Co., CSC's insurance carrier, stating that its policies do not cover the judgment against them.  (Star-Telegram)

 

December 3, 2003

Visiting State District Judge Roger Towery has ruled that Sarasota, Fla.-based Correctional Services Corp. must pay a $38 million judgment that was awarded earlier this summer to the parents of a young man who died at a Mansfield, Tex., boot camp in 2001.  In August, a jury in Fort Worth's 236th District Court awarded the family of Bryan Alexander $35 million in actual damages and $5.1 million in punitive damages following an eight-week trial.  Alexander died from a penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia he contracted while participating in a six-month boot camp program as a condition of his misdemeanor probation. Evidence in the case showed that Alexander, who was 18 years old, died after CSC employees ignored his pleas for medical attention for days.  In September, Judge Towery set the actual damages at $37.4 million, including interest, and reduced the punitive damages to $750,000. CSC responded by asking the court to reduce or set aside the entire judgment, arguing that there was "no legally or factually sufficient evidence to support the jury's findings." CSC President James Slattery told CSC investors during a recent conference call that the company expected the court to reduce the $38 million judgment. In his ruling issued yesterday, the judge denied all of CSC's motions.  "We are pleased that once again the jury's verdict in this case has been upheld," says attorney Jeff Kobs, a partner in Fort Worth's Kobs & Haney, who represented the Alexander family along with Fort Worth attorney Bill Lane. "We are confident that the Courts will continue to deny CSC's repeated attacks on the jury's decision."  As a result of this ruling, CSC has until Dec. 16, 2003, to file its notice of appeal, and the company must also post a $25 million bond by Dec. 28, 2003, in order to prevent the Alexander family from attempting to collect the judgment amount. Interest has been accruing at a rate of $5,250 per day since the original judgment was entered in September.  In a related federal court action, CSC's insurance carrier, Northland Insurance Co., is seeking a declaration that its policies do not cover the $38 million judgment. CSC is arguing that the Northland policies should cover the judgment amount, and that Northland acted improperly in failing to settle the claims prior to the jury's verdict.  For more information on the court's ruling, please contact attorney Jeff Kobs at 817.332.5956, attorney Bill Lane at 817.625.5570, or Bruce Vincent at 214.559.4630 or pager 888.361.8452.  (yahoo.com)

 

September 18, 2003

Visiting State District Judge Roger Towery has signed a $38.3 million judgment against Sarasota, Fla.-based Correctional Services Corp. in a lawsuit over the death of an 18-year-old man who died at a Mansfield boot camp in 2001.  The judgment, entered yesterday in Tarrant County's 236th District Court, includes $37.4 million in actual damages plus interest and $750,000 in punitive damages. In August, a Fort Worth jury awarded $35 million in actual damages and $5.1 million in punitive damages to the family of Bryan Alexander. The punitive damages were reduced in the judgment under Texas punitive damage caps.  According to the lawsuit, Alexander died on Jan. 9, 2001, from a penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia while participating in a six-month boot camp program as a condition of his misdemeanor probation. Alexander chose the boot camp over jail time. He died after his pleas for medical attention were ignored for days.  "This judgment sends a clear signal that the original verdict in this case was sound," says Jeff Kobs, a partner in Fort Worth's Kobs & Haney, who represented the Alexander family along with Fort Worth attorney Bill Lane.  During trial, Kobs and Lane argued that Alexander's medical condition should have triggered a response from the boot camp nurse or other employees of CSC. Evidence in the case showed that Alexander experienced difficulty breathing and began coughing up blood at least five days before his death. CSC eventually transferred Alexander to a local hospital, but he died less than 36 hours after being admitted.  "Bryan's was a senseless death that should never have happened," Lane says. "The Alexander family hopes this judgment will send a clear message to CSC and other for-profit correctional companies, and that no other families are forced to suffer a similar ordeal."  Under Texas law, CSC has 30 days to appeal the judgment, ask for a new trial, or pay the $38.3 million judgment. If CSC appeals the judgment, state law would delay the payment of the judgment if CSC posts a $25 million bond.  For more information on the judgment in this case, please contact attorney Jeff Kobs at 817.332.5956, attorney Bill Lane at 817.625.5570, or Bruce Vincent at 214.559.4630 or pager 888.361.8452.  (Yahoo Finance)

 

September 6, 2003

A state judge in Montague County is set to hear arguments today to finalize $40.1 million in damages that a jury awarded last month to the parents of an Arlington man who died while at the former Mansfield boot camp. Correctional Services Corp. and its nurse Knyvett Reyes were found responsible for the Jan. 9, 2001, death of Bryan Alexander. The 18-year-old probationer died of a rare lung infection after his complaints of feeling weak and coughing up blood went ignored for days. A Tarrant County jury decided that the Florida-based company, which contracted to run the camp, and its nurse should pay $35 million for Alexander's death, his suffering and his parents' loss. The jury then added $5.1 million in punitive damages, with CSC to pay most of the judgment. Attorneys for CSC and Reyes are expected to appeal the verdict. CSC Chief Executive James Slattery said his attorneys intend to "request that the court set aside the jury's verdict." "Mr. Alexander died from an extremely rare form of antibiotic-resistant pneumonia, which is not normally contracted outside of a hospital setting," he said in a statement last week. "Even the plaintiffs' experts testified that this condition would have been extremely difficult to diagnose." Plaintiffs' attorneys say CSC's position shows an "ongoing unwillingness to take responsibility" for Alexander's death. "The defendants said they plan to fight us tooth and nail," said Mark Haney, one of seven attorneys representing Alexander's parents, Rickey Alexander and Judy Schumpert. "They want to try and disregard the verdict that addressed their bad behavior," he said. "It is a slap in the face to the Alexander family and the jury's verdict." CSC's Fort Worth attorney, Vic Anderson, declined to comment on the case. Reyes' attorney, Michael Wallach, could not be reached to comment. CSC has $35 million in insurance to cover the jury award in Alexander's death. But the company's insurer has sued, saying it is not obligated to pay because Reyes was convicted last year of negligent homicide. That conviction is being appealed. Under Texas law, punitive damages in the Alexander case are limited to $750,000 for CSC and $100,000 for Reyes. The jury had set punitive damages at $5 million to be paid by CSC and $100,000 from Reyes. (Star-Telegram)

August 29, 2003

With no prior criminal record, the 18-year-old Arlington man hoped that the former Mansfield boot camp would set him straight after a drunken-driving arrest.  He chose the regimented, low-security corrections facility over jail time.  But a rare, penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia killed Bryan Alexander on Jan. 9, 2001, while he served his six-month sentence. His pleas for medical attention had been ignored for days.  "He wanted to get some discipline at the camp and a chance to get his GED. It turned out to be a death sentence for a DWI," said Charlie Smith, who represented the teen-ager in the criminal matter and his family in a civil lawsuit.  On Thursday, a Tarrant County jury added $5.1 million in punitive damages to its award Wednesday of $35 million in actual damages for Alexander's death, his suffering and his parents' mental anguish and loss of their son.  Jurors blamed the camp's nurse, Knyvett Reyes, and Florida-based Correctional Services Corp., which contracted to run the 370-bed facility.  CSC must pay $26 million of the judgment, Reyes $14.1 million. Reyes' attorney, Michael Wallach, and CSC's attorney, Vic Anderson, declined to comment.  The lawsuit brought by Alexander's parents, Rickey Alexander and Judy Schumpert, said Reyes and CSC failed to provide Alexander with adequate and timely medical care.  He had complained of feeling weak and coughing up blood days before he was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Alexander was immediately placed in intensive care but died two days later.  The boot camp and residential drug-treatment programs at the Mansfield facility were closed six months after Alexander's death. CSC had been paid $2.9 million a year by the state to run the facility.  On Thursday, attorneys for the Alexander family asked the jury of five women and seven men to further punish CSC and Reyes to send a message to other correction facilities and nurses.  "You did listen to Bryan's pleas for help. Unfortunately for Bryan, you are 2 1/2 years too late," Bill Lane, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, told the jury in closing arguments Thursday in the punitive-damage stage of the trial. "But you are not too late to send a message to this private corporation that we will not accept the lowest bidder or that the bottom line is worth more than a human life."  Attorneys for the defendants argued that their clients were unaware of the seriousness of Alexander's illness. Reyes testified that she treated Alexander for a cold, flu and strep throat based on her evaluation of his symptoms.  Fort Worth accountant L. Andrew McCartney said CSC is worth more than $50.8 million, based on recent financial reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  CSC has about $25 million in insurance coverage that could be used to cover the judgment, said Anderson, CSC's attorney.  "If the company is closed down, there are going to be a lot of people out of jobs," he said.  Reyes' attorney, Wallach, said: "I think we all know Knyvett Reyes is not a corporation. I would ask that you punish her no further."  (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

 

August 28, 2003

A former nurse and a Florida-based private corrections company that operated the defunct Mansfield boot camp were responsible for the death of an 18-year-old inmate, a Tarrant County jury decided Wednesday.  The jury of five women and seven men ordered the nurse and company to pay $35 million for the death of Bryan Alexander, his suffering, and his parents' mental anguish and loss of companionship.  Alexander died of a rare penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, two days after being transported from the camp for probationers.  Arlington lawyer Charlie Smith, who represented Alexander in his criminal matter and the Alexander family in the wrongful-death lawsuit, said he was not surprised by the jury's verdict.  "This case was more like a homicide case than a wrongful-death lawsuit because of the way this young man died," said Smith, one of seven attorneys representing the Alexander family. "Bryan's family was hopeful that this jury would speak loud about the conduct of these defendants so it will not happen to another child in the same circumstances as Bryan Alexander."  The lawsuit asserted that Correctional Services Corp., and its nurse at the camp, Knyvett Reyes of Arlington, did not provide Alexander with adequate and timely medical care. Alexander had complained of feeling weak and was coughing up blood days before he was taken to JPS Hospital.  But Reyes testified during the seven-week trial that, based on her evaluation of his symptoms, she treated Alexander for a cold, flu and strep throat. Witnesses testified that Reyes thought the inmate was faking his illness.  Reyes' attorney, Michael Wallach, declined to comment after the jury's verdict. Correctional Services Corp.'s attorney, Vic Anderson, also declined to comment.  Attorneys for Alexander's parents, Rickey Alexander and Judy Schumpert, said Reyes' skepticism cost Alexander his life. He was serving a sentence at the facility for a drunken-driving conviction and had no prior criminal record, according to testimony.  Correctional Services Corp., which was paid about $2.9 million a year to run the camp, must pay 60 percent of the $35 million judgment, while Reyes was ordered to pay 40 percent.  The jury also decided that Reyes and Correctional Services Corp. acted with malice in ignoring Alexander's pleas for help, which means the defendants must pay punitive damages. Closing arguments are scheduled for today to determine punitive damages.  Fort Worth accountant L. Andrew McCartney said Correctional Services Corp. is worth more than $50.8 million, based on recent financial reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  "They are currently making a profit," he testified.  Reyes' financial condition was not brought up.  Plaintiffs' attorneys are seeking $40 million in punitive damages for the Alexander family.  Correctional Services Corp. has about $25 million in insurance coverage that could be used to cover the lawsuit judgment, said Anderson, the company's attorney.  "In this case, the plaintiffs are asking the jury to punish the company. If the jury punishes the company, they are probably going to be punishing the stockholders of this company," Anderson said.  (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

 

August 28, 2003

A former nurse and a Florida-based private corrections company that operated a defunct Mansfield boot camp were responsible for the death of an 18-year-old inmate, a Tarrant County jury decided Wednesday.  The jury of five women and seven men ordered the nurse and company to pay $35 million for the death of Bryan Alexander, his suffering, and his parents' mental anguish and future loss of companionship.  Alexander died of a rare penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, two days after being transported from the camp for probationers.  Arlington lawyer Charlie Smith, who represented Alexander in his criminal case and the Alexander family in the wrongful-death lawsuit, said he was not surprised by the jury's verdict.  "This case was more like a homicide case than a wrongful-death lawsuit because of the way this young man died," said Smith, one of seven attorneys representing the Alexander family. "Bryan's family was hopeful that this jury would speak loud about the conduct of these defendants so it will not happen to another child in the same circumstances as Bryan Alexander."  The lawsuit asserted that Correctional Services Corp. and its nurse at the camp, Knyvett Reyes, failed to provide Alexander with adequate and timely medical care. Alexander had complained of weakness and was coughing up blood days before he was taken to JPS Hospital.  But Reyes testified during the seven-week trial that, based on her evaluation of his symptoms, she treated Alexander for a cold, flu and strep throat. Witnesses testified that Reyes thought the inmate was faking his illness.  Attorneys for Alexander's parents, Rickey Alexander and Judy Schumpert, said Reyes' skepticism cost Alexander his life. He was serving a sentence at the facility for a drunken-driving conviction and had no prior criminal record, according to testimony.  Correctional Services Corp., which was paid about $2.9 million a year to run the camp, must pay 60 percent of the $35 million judgment; Reyes was ordered to pay 40 percent.   (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

 

August 27, 2003

Correctional Services Corporation today announced that a Tarrant County, Texas jury has returned a $35 million verdict against the Company and its former employee in the wrongful death suit by the parents and estate of Bryan Alexander. Mr. Alexander died of a rare penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia while incarcerated at the Tarrant County Community Correctional Facility, which was operated by the Company at the time. The jury will now be asked to consider whether punitive damages should also be awarded against the Company and/or its former employee.  (Yahoo Finance)

 

August 27, 2003

A Tarrant County jury is expected to continue deliberations today in the wrongful-death lawsuit in the case of an Arlington teen-ager who died while serving a sentence at the former Mansfield boot camp.  Bryan Alexander, 18, died of pneumonia at John Peter Smith Hospital on Jan. 9, 2001 -- days after he complained of feeling weak and coughing up blood. He had a rare penicillin-resistant infection, hospital tests later revealed.  Attorneys for his parents, Rickey Alexander and Judy Schumpert, said Florida-based Correctional Services Corp., the private company that operated the boot camp, and its nurse, Knyvett Reyes, ignored Bryan Alexander's pleas for medical attention and could have saved his life.  The attorneys are asking for at least $75 million for Alexander's death, his suffering and his parents' mental anguish.   (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

 

August 26, 2003

A Tarrant County jury began deliberations Monday in the wrongful-death lawsuit in the case of an Arlington man who died while serving a drunken-driving sentence at the former Mansfield boot camp.  Bryan Alexander, 18, died of pneumonia at John Peter Smith Hospital on Jan. 9, 2001 -- days after he complained of feeling weak and coughing up blood. He had a rare penicillin-resistant infection, hospital tests later revealed.  Attorneys for his parents -- Rickey Alexander and Judy Schumpert -- said the Florida-based private company that operated the boot camp and its nurse, Knyvett Reyes, ignored his pleas for medical attention and could have saved his life.  "They don't believe they did anything wrong," said Jeff Kobs, one of seven attorneys representing the Alexander family. "No one has come to this courtroom to say they were sorry or regret what they did. I want you to tell these people they are responsible and what happened was wrong."  Alexander's parents are suing Reyes and Correctional Services Corp., which contracted to run the 370-bed facility for probationers and drug treatment. Plaintiffs' attorneys suggested an award of $75 million for Alexander's death, his suffering and his parents' mental anguish.  A jury of five women and seven men listened to nearly eight hours of closing arguments Monday in the trial that began July 7. They are expected to resume deliberations this morning.  The defendants' attorneys argued that Alexander was provided with adequate medical care and that he was the only one to blame for his death because he failed to provide the camp's nurse with enough information about his illness.  "It wasn't going to make any difference on the ultimate outcome if he had been seen by a doctor on Jan. 5," Reyes' attorney, Michael Wallach, said. "Alexander never proved he was coughing up blood until Jan. 7. He had every opportunity to bring nurse Reyes the proof."  Attorney Vic Anderson, who represents CSC, said the plaintiffs' witnesses were not credible because they were mostly former inmates at the boot camp, and he frequently called them "criminals."  Anderson also said that Alexander showed signs of having a cold or the flu but that he was not seriously ill until he was transported to JPS.  "We believe nurse Reyes did not think there was an extreme risk involved with Alexander," Anderson said. "She was treating him for strep throat."  Reyes was convicted of negligent homicide last year in Alexander's death and sentenced to four years' probation. But attorneys for the Alexander family could not present her conviction to jurors because the case is under appeal.  The county's 19 criminal court judges closed the boot camp in July 2001 amid an array of problems at the facility. Attorneys for the Alexander family are also suing the judges who oversaw the facility in 2000 and 2001 and the probation department.  Reyes surrendered her nursing license in 2001 during a state nursing board investigation.  CSC still has two contracts with Texas. The publicly traded company is paid about $7 million to run a halfway house in Fort Worth and an intermediate-sanction facility in Houston, state prison spokesman Larry Todd said.  Alexander's attorneys said a judgment in the lawsuit is important to prevent similar incidents at other facilities operated by CSC.  "We're talking about a for-profit corrections company that houses our youths. They do it for the money. And it's the bottom line they are concerned about, not about responsibility," said Bill Lane, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys. "It is wrong what happened to Bryan Alexander, and they should pay for what happened."   (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

 

July 21, 2003

A Texas Rangers' investigation into the death of an inmate at the former Mansfield boot camp determined that the 18-year-old probationer had to take cold and flu pills for days before he was allowed to visit a nurse. Attorneys blamed a nurse's skepticism and poor staffing by a Florida-based private company that ran a Mansfield boot camp for the death of an inmate who had been serving a drunken-driving sentence at the facility.  The attorneys, who represent the parents of Bryan Alexander, made the accusations Thursday during opening statements of a wrongful death trial. Alexander, 18, of Arlington died Jan. 9, 2001, two days after being transferred to a Fort Worth hospital. He had a form of pneumonia that was resistant to penicillin. Plaintiffs' attorneys contend the camp's nurse and Correctional Services Corp., which contracted to run the camp for the county's judges and probation department, failed to provide Alexander with timely and adequate medical care.  "They watched him die," Charlie Smith said in opening statements. He is one of seven attorneys representing Alexander's parents, Rickey Alexander and Judy Schumpert.  Visiting State District Judge Roger Towery is presiding over the trial, and a five-woman, seven-man jury will decide the case.  The plaintiffs' attorneys contend Bryan Alexander tried to get medical attention as early as Dec. 31 but was not seen until Jan. 5. Alexander had been given over-the-counter medication to treat a cold or flu.  Alexander's parents are suing CSC and the camp's former nurse, Knyvett Reyes, who was hired by the company. Reyes was convicted of negligent homicide last year in Alexander's death. Attorneys on both sides are awaiting clarification from the 2nd Court of Appeals in Fort Worth on whether that conviction is final or under appeal.  Vic Anderson, an attorney for CSC, said Reyes acted appropriately in treating what she believed was the flu or strep throat and could not have known the severity of Alexander's illness.  "We do not deny the fact that Mr. Alexander was ill and began feeling bad sometime in late December or early January," Anderson said in opening statements. "But a lot of people at the facility were feeling bad," he said.  "There was an outbreak of flu. It was not an unusual thing for someone at the camp to say they are sick to get out of work or to get a trip to the hospital."  Alexander died two days after being taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth on Jan. 7, 2001. "Just because there is a death doesn't necessarily mean there is someone at fault," Anderson said.  Texas Rangers Sgt. Alvin Alexis testified that the boot camp had a policy of requiring probationers at the 370-bed Mansfield facility to take over-the-counter drugs for three days before they could request a visit to the camp's nurse.  Alexis said Alexander complained of coughing up blood but had to take cold and flu pills for three days and then tried for another three days to visit the camp's nurse. Alexis based his conclusions on CSC records and interviews with CSC employees and boot camp inmates.  Reyes' attorney, Michael Wallach, told jurors they should question the reliability of inmates' statements, even Alexander's.  "You will have to determine whether Bryan Alexander was a reliable historian of his own health problems," he said.  The civil lawsuit, which initially sought more than $700 million in damages, is expected to last more than a month, court officials said. Attorneys for Alexander's parents are not disclosing how much in damages they'll seek at the conclusion of the trial.  (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

 

July 14, 2003

Jury selection begins today in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of an 18-year-old Arlington man who died after becoming ill at a former Mansfield facility for probationers.  While serving a sentence for drunken driving, Bryan Alexander developed a rare lung infection and died Jan. 9, 2001, two days after being transferred to a Fort Worth hospital.  Alexander's parents, Rickey Alexander and Judy Schumpert, are suing Correctional Services Corp., the Florida-based private contractor that operated the camp, and its former nurse, Knyvett Reyes, who was convicted in Alexander's death last year.  The lawsuit, which initially sought $755 million, contends that the camp and its employees ignored warning signs of Alexander's failing health.  Attorneys for Correctional Services and Reyes did not return phone calls Friday.  The lawsuit may help prevent other inmates' medical concerns from being ignored, attorneys for Alexander's parents say.  Last year, Reyes, the camp's former nurse, was sentenced to two years in jail, but a probationary sentence was imposed in lieu of jail time. She was also ordered to pay $10,939.74 in restitution. The attorneys for the state and for Reyes negotiated the sentence.  Reyes' attorney, Jack Strickland, is trying to appeal the conviction. But the special prosecutor in the case is fighting the request, meaning that Reyes' conviction can be used as evidence in the civil case, attorneys say.  Plaintiff attorneys said they will focus on Reyes' actions in Alexander's death and how the private contractor limited inmates' access to medical attention.  The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office ruled that Alexander died of pneumonia caused by an antibiotic-resistant infection. Doctors at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth could not detect and treat the infection in time to save his life.  Six months after Alexander's death, the county's 19 criminal-court judges voted to close the boot camp and residential drug-treatment programs at the 370-bed facility. The judges also voted to end the county's $2.9 million annual contract with Correctional Services Corp.  (Star-Telegram)

 

Correctional Services Corporation, Sarasota, Florida

November 8, 2005 Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The GEO Group, based in Boca Raton, has closed its $62 million deal for the Sarasota-based private prison management company. GEO ended up paying $6 per share and assuming $124 million in Correctional Services debt. The local company's founder, James Slattery, plans to continue to run Youth Services International, which runs detention operations for youthful offenders, out of Sarasota. That unit manages programs at 17 centers with 1,300 beds. Slattery paid $3.75 million for the business. GEO will continue to own the 26-acre property in Newport News, Va., that housed one of Youth Services' juvenile operations. Contingent on the closing was a settlement by Correctional Services on a $38.8 million judgment that held the company responsible for the death of Bryan Dale Alexander, an 18-year-old inmate at a Texas boot camp. The terms were held confidential, but the Sarasota company paid $2.7 million toward the settlement, with the rest made up by its liability insurers, which initially balked at paying the award. A Texas jury in August 2003 found CSC and a nurse at the now-closed Mansfield boot camp responsible for Alexander's death. He died of a rare penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia. The judgment against CSC and nurse Knyvett Reyes included $35 million in actual damages, $750,000 in punitive damages and more than $2.4 million in interest. Correctional Services' former adult division owns or operates 15 centers with 7,500 beds. GEO manages 41 prisons and jails with 36,000 beds in the United States, Australia, South Africa and Canada.

 

November 7, 2005 Yahoo

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GGI - News; "GEO"), a world leader in the delivery of correctional and mental health services, announced today the successful completion of its previously announced acquisition of Sarasota-based Correctional Services Corporation (Nasdaq: CSCQ - News; "CSC"), a leading developer and manager of privatized correctional and detention facilities, for approximately $62 million, or $6.00 per common share. GEO also assumed $124 million of CSC non-recourse debt. GEO's acquisition of CSC will add 16 adult male facilities located in six states, totaling approximately 8,000 beds, to GEO's operations, representing local, state and federal clients, including the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Marshals Service. Post-closing of the CSC acquisition, GEO will have contracts and awards to manage 58 facilities with a total design capacity of approximately 48,000 beds, increasing GEO's correctional bed market share from 22 percent to 28 percent.

 

October 22, 2005 Sarasota Herald Tribune

Correctional Services Corp. has settled a $38.3 million judgment that held the company responsible for the death of an 18-year-old inmate at a Texas boot camp. Terms of the agreement are confidential, but the Sarasota-based prison manager said Friday it will pay $2.7 million toward the settlement. The rest will be covered by CSC's liability insurers, which initially balked at paying the award. The agreement is contingent on the closing of CSC's previously announced sale to The GEO Group Inc. for $62 million. CSC shareholders will vote on the sale Nov. 4. If that deal falls through, so does the settlement. A Texas jury in August 2003 found CSC and a nurse at the now-closed Mansfield boot camp responsible for the death of Bryan D. Alexander. Alexander, serving a six-month sentence for a misdemeanor driving conviction, died in 2001 of a rare penicillin-resistant form of pneumonia. Trial testimony showed he was treated for a cold and flu even though he had coughed up blood for five days before his death. His parents sued CSC and nurse Knyvett Reyes for their loss and anguish. Reyes was convicted of negligent homicide and was sentenced to four years of community supervision. She also surrendered her registered nurse's license. The judgment against CSC and Reyes included $35 million in actual damages, $750,000 in punitive damages and more than $2.4 million in interest. The settlement will resolve all claims and lawsuits against CSC and Reyes. It also will end a dispute between CSC and its liability insurers over who should pay. Boca Raton-based GEO is paying $62 million in cash, or $6 a share, and assuming $124 million in liabilities to acquire CSC. It will then sell the Youth Services International subsidiary to CSC president James Slattery for $3.75 million. That unit manages programs at 17 centers with 1,300 beds. GEO will acquire the adult division that owns or operates 15 facilities with 7,500 beds. GEO manages 41 prisons and jails with 36,000 beds in the United States, Australia, South Africa and Canada. Shares of CSC were selling for $5.91 on the Nasdaq at the close of trading Friday, up 1 cent.