Inmate assaulted at Racine County Jail ‘not expected to recover,’ lawyer says

An investigation is underway after a 35-year-old inmate at the Racine County Jail was assaulted by another inmate this week. The man’s lawyer told WPR he is on life support and is not expected to recover.

A statement from the Racine County Sheriff’s Office said the assault happened at around 12:15 p.m. Tuesday.

“Prior to the assault, a corrections officer, following protocol, completed a safety and security check for the dayroom where the assault occurred,” the statement said. 

The correctional officer, who was also not named in the statement, “continued to supervise inmates on the same wing when the perpetrator attacked the victim.”

“During the next safety and security check, the correctional officer located the unresponsive victim and initiated lifesaving measures,” the statement said.

In an email, attorney Jamie McClendon said she is representing the inmate, who is named Joseph Lee. She said Lee is a father and a son and her “heart goes out to his family.”

“Although he is not expected to recover his injuries, he is currently at the hospital on life support while the family figures out the next steps,” McClendon wrote in the email.

The sheriff’s statement did not name Lee, but said the victim of the assault was taken to the hospital and is still receiving medical care, according to the Thursday statement. The sheriff did not release information about Lee’s condition.

The assault was first reported by Racine County Eye.

The sheriff’s office said the assault lasted less than one minute, according to a check of the security cameras in the facility.

“All the emergency buttons in every cell were functional but were not activated by any of the inmates who witnessed the assault,” the statement said.

The Racine County Sheriff’s Office said the man who committed the attack has been segregated from the other inmates at the jail.

The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department is currently conducting the criminal investigation. Neither Racine nor Kenosha departments immediately responded to requests for more information.