$1 million settlement for Atlanta city jail inmate death

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People are taken to the Atlanta City Jail for disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, all the time.

One woman, 55-year-old Wickie Bryant, did not make it out alive.

A federal lawsuit says the inmate, who suffered from diabetes as well as mental issues, was not properly cared for.

The word "indifference " was used in the legal complaint. City officials chose not to go to court. Instead, they will bill taxpayers for $1 million to resolve a lawsuit brought by a family member.

Bryant was supposed to take medication regularly while in the facility. She would often refuse. There was a procedure to notify a physician. That was not done and her health declined. The complaint also characterizes wide gaps in the times periodic checks were done.

It was an inmate who called out after seeing that the diabetic patient had skipped two meals in a row. She had collapsed on the jail floor and was dead for several hours before the next staffer looked at her.

Were changes made? A city source familiar with the case claims there was no need to overhaul procedures. That source said protocols were not followed and those staff members were separated from their jobs.