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Luzerne County settles prison death lawsuit

At Tuesday's meeting, Luzerne County Council approved a settlement related to a death at the Luzerne County prison in 2018.

The council agreed to award $780,000 to the estate of Hailey Povisil following a lawsuit filed against Luzerne County and healthcare provider Wellpath (formerly known as Correct Care Solutions). Luzerne County's portion of the settlement will be $390,000 from its general fund, according to meeting notes.

Court documents state that the woman died by suicide three days after she was incarcerated at Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

The plaintiffs argued that Povisil experienced withdrawal symptoms from opiates and guards and healthcare workers did not take her mental distress seriously.

Updated: March 31, 2023 at 2:43 PM EDT
A previous version of this story said a prison guard was also included in the lawsuit. Although Luzerne County Council meeting minutes name the guard, the law firm who handled the case said that that individual was ultimately removed from the suit.