In the Intensive Care Unit in the Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Yad Duu Quay Mark Cook Jr. was placed on life support Monday. He was declared dead, however, he was an organ donor, and so continued to be connected to machines.
Cook’s family performed the Lingit song for the entrance and exit that is often performed for wedding ceremonies. A few people read prayers and scriptures.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”We’re going to sing an anthem for you,” Ernestine Hanlon-Abel told her grandson while he lay in the hospital bed. “This will help you get out of this physical world and to help you begin the next phase of your journey. .”
Cook has become the third death victim within the Alaska Department of Corrections custody this year. The family of the deceased says that he committed suicide. in suicide by hanging in Lemon Creek Correctional Center, in which he was believed to have been in isolation for weeks with back pain that was crippling.
His death is in line with the pattern. In a recent report, an investigation by the Anchorage Daily News revealed that suicides within Alaska prisons “unfolded in an alarming manner” in the past year- mostly among those waiting for trial. that the department has been accused of not take enough steps to stop suicides.
From an injury to the back to jail
Hanlon-Abel claims her grandson was the most talented Lingit dancer that she’s met. However, in February, he went to the nearby health facility in Hoonah suffering from back pain and was discharged in such pain that it was impossible for him to walk.
Cook’s family members say Cook was angry when he was at the doctor’s office, shouted and threatened to bring a lawsuit. That same day Hoonah officers arrested Cook on misdemeanor charges for breaking into a property and trespassing. The family was unable to satisfy the requirements for his release.
Cook was later moved in Lemon Creek in Juneau because his family members said that it was difficult to receive the medical treatment he required in Hoonah. Hoonah jail. They claimed they kept in contact with him during his time in Lemon Creek, and he did not receive much attention there, either.
The style of span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”He was in extreme pain, all throughout the day.” told his father, Thomas Abel.
Abel stated it was at Lemon Creek, Cook often was prone to falling down and was unable to keep getting up to go to the bathroom. He said that at times, he was left in his own poop for a long time before anyone could assist him in cleaning up.
Family members also claim that due to his back pain, Cook was placed in isolated confinement for about three weeks prior to his death.
The father of Cook, Mark Cook Sr. has said that he talked to an Alaska State Trooper at the hospital’s emergency department regarding the incident that occurred on April 22. As per Cook Sr. the trooper claimed that Cook made use of his bedsheets in order for hanging himself on a ventilation, after placing tape over the security camera of the roomthe tape was removed thirty minutes before security was able to locate Cook.
A trooper confirmed the cause that Cook died, however, they referred KTOO directly to the Department of Corrections for details. They said that they would provide more information. Department of Corrections did not answer questions regarding the suicide prevention policies they have in place and whether or not they were implemented.
“Conditions of confinement that are similar to the solitary’
The Cook family believe that his suicide was caused by insufficient treatment for back pain and isolation confinement.
span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”He could not take the pain any longer,” said Jodee Shrock Cook’s mother. “They simply threw him into a cage and then left him there. He wouldn’t have committed suicide should he had sought assistance for what was wrong. .”
Christina Love of Haven House is a nonprofit organization that assists women who have left prison, supports the family’s assertion that Cook was confined to solitary. She told reporters the following day that she’d learned the news from her clients, and confirmed the claim with the prison’s staff.
Megan Edge is with the American Civil Liberties Union in Alaska. She says that her group has heard about a number of people who were put in what amounts to isolated confinement due to medical reasons.
It’s a span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”DOC frequently states”it’s not “solitary confinement”and they’re not in trouble,” Edge said. “But they’re in a state of confinement which are similar to those of solitary confinement. .”
Edge claims that solitary confinement can be cruel, and it is a shame that the Department of Corrections hasn’t explained the reasons why prisoners with medical problems are subject to these circumstances. Edge said that the ACLU is currently investigating the death of Cook.
The Department of Corrections did not answer questions regarding the conditions under which Cook was held or the medical treatment he received.
The Cook family believes that he shouldn’t have been in jail in the first place. Family members claim that they believe Cook’s bail was too high for his crime They don’t know the reason a judge decided Cook could not remain with his grandparents even if the judge released him.
Edge advised that it’s vital to keep in mind that Cook did not yet go to trial in the case, and it included two misdemeanors.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”He’s not been sentenced to death,” she said. “He’s not been sentenced to anything. .”
“He made everything fun’
On Tuesday evening, in the Juneau hotel Ten of Cook’s dear relatives shared stories about the man he was, usually talking about his generosity. In the 27 years he lived, Cook served as a parent and the son of an EMT also a singer.
Heather Kunigelis is the mother of Cook’s daughter Ernestine. She recalls attending an event with Cook. As an emergency occurred, Cook ran into the building as the crowd surged out.
It’s a style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”That just is the way was he,” she said. “And it’s led him to get into some trouble however that’s who was he. .”
The Cook’s family’s boss, Leif Abel, said he is eager to hire Cook to help on his fishing vessel this summer. He told him he is thinking long and hard about the guests that he invites onto his boat.
It’s a span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Who would you like to have to be on your boat? The answer is yes, Mark was one because it was just enjoyable,” he said. “He made everything enjoyable .”
Hanlon Abel hopes that her grandson’s decision to be the organ donation will ensure the family of another won’t feel sorrow for their child.
It’s a span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”That’s the same as him,”” she added. “He’s gone, but he’s providing .”
Cook Sr. said hospital staff members told him at least 12 people could benefit from the organ donation made by his son.
