Death by lockup: incompetent incarceration.

• Author: Soave, Robby
• Position: Citings - David Stojcevski - Brief article

DAVID STOJCEVSKI'S punishment was supposed to just be a month in jail. But after 17 days behind bars in Macomb County, Michigan, for not paying his parking fines, the 32-year-old succumbed to a toxic combination of drug withdrawal and institutional neglect. He died, naked and alone, in his cell--his demise immortalized on 24/7 surveillance footage.

Stojcevski was a drug addict; at the time of his incarceration, he was on several medications to help him cope. But once in jail, he was allegedly deprived of the medicine he needed, and soon began manifesting telltale signs of withdrawal, including erratic behavior.

Jail officials misdiagnosed his symptoms, thinking that he was psychotic. They placed him in a cell with other inmates deemed mentally ill, and stripped him naked so that he couldn't hurt himself. The cell--a brightly lit room, even at night--was...