Local Jails Called on to Cancel Their Contracts with MEnD Correctional Care

 Minnesota’s Beltrami County has announced that they will be terminating their contract with MEnD Correctional Care. MEnD is a corrections healthcare contractor based out of Sartell that was founded in 2006.  It was under their watch that Hardel Sherrell died three years ago while at the Beltrami County Jail, on Sept. 2, 2018.

During a several day period, Sherrell endured dramtically declining health.  He complained of being in excruciating pain, and lost the ability to walk.  MEnD staff insisted that he was faking, and refused to take his complaints seriously.  Even after he lost control of his bowels and bladder, staff responded by taunting him to get up and take a shower.  What was happening to Sherrell was that he was suffering from  Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a treatable condition that attacks the nervous system causing paralysis.

Stephanie Lundblad, a nurse practioner who worked for the jail at that time, said it was clear that he wasn’t faking.  She has come forth with damning testimony accusing MEnD staff of murder.

 The Duluth NAACP has been pushing for local jails to end their relationship with this company, and to hold jail healthcare providers accountable.  This week’s announcement by Beltrami County is a welcome one, and will hopefully provide momentum for other counties to follow suit.  The Duluth NAACP urges folks to contact Robyn Wojciechowski, the St. Louis County Jail Administrator, at county_sheriff@stlouiscountymn.gov to urge them to cancel their contract with MEnD as well. 

We urge our readers to get involved with the Duluth NAACP to support this campaign.  And be sure to plug into the #EndMEND hashtag campaign.

Here is a video message from the Duluth NAACP on their EndMEnD campaign.