DRM attorneys Tristram Coffin and Timothy Doherty, Jr. have released the findings of their investigation into the death of Kenneth Johnson, a 60-year old Black inmate at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport, Vermont. It was determined that “more could have and should have been done to care for Mr. Johnson”, said Tris Coffin. According to an autopsy performed by the state medical examiner, Kenneth Johnson died on December 7, 2019 as a result of an undiagnosed cancerous tumor in his throat. In the hours leading up to his death, he told staff that he was unable to breathe but he was not brought to the hospital. During the press conference, Tim Doherty emphasized that the Department of Corrections needed to take a “holistic approach” in its reform efforts.
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