Black Woman Pleads For Help As Brother's Health Deteriorates In Alabama Prison
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Black Woman Pleads For Help As Brother's Health Deteriorates In Alabama Prison

"He cannot walk nor stand. He is weak and vulnerable,” Kastellio Vaughan's sister said.

  • Martie Bowser

by Martie Bowser

September 26, 2022 at 10:16 pm

A Facebook post that Kassie Vaughan shared about her brother, Kastellio Vaughan, has captured the attention of advocacy groups for incarcerated people. The post has been shared over 18,000 times and shows the 32-year-old incarcerated man allegedly needing severe medical attention.

The post included a photo of a healthy Vaughan accompanied by disturbing photos showing him emaciated. In one of the photos, Vaughan’s eyes appear to be rolling back into his head.

“VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED,” Vaughan captioned the post.

“MY BROTHER KASTELLIO VAUGHAN,” she continued. “He’s currently an inmate placed at Elmore Correctional Facility. I’m coming to you right now based on my brother’s health. My brother’s health is rapidly declining. As you can see in these photos he is extremely malnourished. In these particular photos he cannot walk nor stand he is weak and vulnerable. My last visitation with my brother was July 24, 2022 he was in good condition. I am not a doctor but his health seems to be deteriorating. I received 2 pictures of him today saying ‘GET HELP’. I’m asking for you to simply share and get these pictures out this is violating human rights. I don’t see how you cannot get help when a individual is in this state. Tag all news stations please and anybody that can help with this issue. This is urgent and I’m concerned and scared for my brother’s health.”

According to The Birmingham News, Kastellio is an incarcerated man at Elmore Correctional Facility in central Alabama. He began serving a 20-year sentence for 2019 convictions of burglary and the unlawful breaking and entering of a vehicle. One of Vaughan’s past charges includes a 2013 home invasion where he was shot multiple times after allegedly attempting to burglarize a private residence.

As reported by WBRC-6, Vaughan’s family said he was healthy when they last visited him in June of this year. But then, about three weeks ago, Vaughan called his family and told them he was experiencing stomach issues, and he informed them that he asked for medical treatment.

The family said that days later, they received a call from another incarcerated man at the correctional facility who let them know their brother had been taken into surgery. The man allegedly informed the family that Vaughan had part of his small intestine removed.

According to WBRC-6, Vaughan’s sister shared that the family wasn’t “even informed of the surgery, at all.”

“The inmate said it was less than 32 hours he was back in there with 32 staples going down his abdomen,” she continued.

Upon learning of Vaughan’s condition, the family reached out to the Alabama Department of Corrections, which promised them Vaughan would be in good care. But after they received the disturbing images, they allegedly stopped responding. That’s when the family took to social media, calling for help.

The Birmingham News reports that Vaughan and his family hired civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who provided more details about Vaughan’s medical state.

According to Merritt, Vaughan reportedly had surgery in August to remove a part of his intestines because of gunshot injuries sustained before he was incarcerated. Merritt was referring to Vaughan’s gunshot wounds from the 2013 burglary attempt.

Merritt stated, “the family members report that following his surgery last month, Vaughan was immediately discharged from the hospital on the same day and placed back into the general population at Elmore Correctional Facility.”

“Due to inadequate facilities, abuse, and medical neglect, Vaughan’s medical condition rapidly deteriorated,” Merritt continued. “Vaughan is believed to have lost 75 pounds in less than a month.”
In addition, Merritt revealed that Vaughan’s surgical scars were “exposed to unsanitary conditions” and “possibly infected.”

In a statement released to The Birmingham News, the Alabama Department of Corrections discussed Vaughan’s condition.

“ADOC’s Office of Health Services has fully investigated his situation from a clinical perspective, and he has been offered all necessary treatment for his condition,” the statement read. “Also, he has been in touch with his family to update them on his situation.”

Vaughan’s family and lawyers state that this treatment violates his human rights and that the current help being provided by the ADOC is only because of social media backlash.

As previously reported by WBRL, attorney Ben Crump called the events “horrific.”

“Let’s be clear, the State of Alabama has tried to deflect any action or responsibility for Mr. Vaughan’s condition at every turn,” he said. “If it wasn’t for these pictures, the media spotlight, and the resulting uproar, we might never have known about the neglect and Mr. Vaughan would have died before the public knew anything was happening.”

Despite ADOC reporting that Vaughan has been in contact with his family, the family has told WBRC-6 that they have not heard from him since his condition worsened and that they haven’t heard from the ADOC.

The family informed WBRC-6 that they plan to have Vaughan transferred to another facility once he recovers.