
Tanna Jo Fillmore
Last year, within one week, two women, Tanna Jo Fillmore and Madison Jensen, “were found dead” in their cells in the Duchesne County Jail, in Utah. Their deaths are still shrouded in mystery and official obfuscation. Their families are still grieving as they seek answers and, even more, an end to the violence against women in Utah jails. On November 15, 2016, 25-year-old Tanna Jo Fillmore was deposited in the Duchesne County Jail, for parole violation. On Thanksgiving Day, she was found hanging in her cell. The following weekend, in response to her parents’ plea for help, Madison Jensen was taken to the Duchesne County Jail. Within the next four days, she lost anywhere from 17 to 42 pounds, reports vary. What doesn’t vary is the excruciating pain of her final hours and days. Tanna Jo Fillmore and Madison Jensen join the circle of Sarah Lee Circle Bear, Christina Tahhahwah, Amy Lynn Cowling, Ashley Ellis, Kellsie Green, Joyce Curnell, Sandra Bland, Kindra Chapman, and so many other women who have died in excruciating pain in America’s jails. They also join the circle of Heather Ashton Miller and all the other women who have died, recently, in Utah’s jails and prisons. What happened to Tanna Jo Fillmore and Madison Jensen? The routine torture of prison state’s war on drugs.
According to Melany Zoumadakis, Tanna Jo Fillmore’s mother, when Tanna Jo Fillmore was taken to Duchesne County Jail, her parole officer assured the mother that her daughter would be placed on suicide watch. That never happened. Many things never happened. Melany Zoumadakis was never informed by the jail of her daughter’s death, and she’s still waiting for information: “I don’t know if she was alive when they found her. I don’t know if she was fully dead and if they tried to shock her heart and bring her back. No one will talk to me … I am the mom and until you lose a child, you don’t know the pain it causes.”
Tanna Jo Fillmore entered Duchesne County Jail on a probation violation. In fact, that was a death sentence.
If possible, Madison Jensen’s story is worse. Madison Jensen threatened to commit suicide. Madison Jensen’s mother was seriously ill, and so her father, Jared Jensen, desperate for help, called the police. The police took her in, dumped her in Duchesne County Jail, where she was denied access to her medications. For whatever reason, she could not hold down anything, not food, not water. She begged for help. Her cellmate begged for help. None came. She died, a slow and excruciating death. According to Matt Finch, an opiate withdrawal recovery specialist, “She was going through opioid withdrawal syndrome and antidepressant withdrawal. I can’t even imagine how much pain she was going through.” Jared Jensen can imagine: “My daughter went in there to save her own life and now she comes out deceased.”
We must all imagine the pain, if we are to end the policies and practices that have produced that pain, across the country, from one jail to the next. A woman loses 17 pounds, at the very least, in four days, begs and screams for help, vomits through the whole period, can’t move, and the staff response is … policy doesn’t allow her to take her necessary medication because the institution is a “narcotics free zone”? That more than narcotics free. That’s a zone free of humanity, and it’s where we all live. What happened to Tanna Jo Fillmore and Madison Jensen? The routine torture of women in jails in Utah and across the United States.

Madison Jensen
(Photo Credit 1: Salt Lake Tribune) (Photo Credit 2: Salt Lake Tribune)
Utah AG won’t file charges in woman’s jail death http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/article_87ef43a3-f41d-5e16-94c3-094c27dd1b67.html
Too many people are dying in Utah jails. Now, how do we protect the vulnerable? http://www.standard.net/Our-View/2017/05/07/Utah-jail-deaths-Davis-County-Weber-Heather-Ashton-Miller-Matthew-Hall-Iowa-Nevada-editorial.html
Ranked high in suicides, Utah State Prison seeks to reduce solitary confinement http://www.sltrib.com/home/5243955-155/ranked-high-in-suicides-utah-state
A.G. to look into death of Duchesne County inmate who lost at least 17 pounds in four days http://www.sltrib.com/home/5267577-155/ag-to-investigate-death-of-duchesne
ACLU to push for Utah jail inspection requirements after high number of deaths http://www.standard.net/Police-Fire/2017/05/24/Critics-fault-Utah-for-lack-of-mandatory-jail-inspections-deaths-opioids-suicide-narcotics-ACLU.html
The money-making business of sending state inmates to county jails has failed and should be revamped http://www.sltrib.com/news/5536870-155/gehrke-the-money-making-business-of-sending
In many Utah jails, there’s no doctor in the house — and sometimes no nurse http://www.sltrib.com/news/5559800-155/in-many-utah-jails-theres-no
Family of man who died after 2 days in Uintah County jail sues, says he didn’t receive necessary medication http://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2017/08/27/family-of-man-who-died-after-2-days-in-uintah-county-jail-sues-says-he-didnt-receive-necessary-medication/
Jails rely on medical services contract, but is care adequate? http://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2017/07/31/in-many-utah-jails-theres-no-doctor-in-the-house-and-sometimes-no-nurse/
For Utah prisoners, the doctor is not in http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/editorial/2017/08/02/tribune-editorial-for-utah-prisoners-the-doctor-is-not-in/
Duchesne County nurse charged with negligent homicide nine months after 21-year-old inmate died from dehydration http://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2017/09/25/duchesne-county-nurse-charged-with-negligent-homicide-nine-months-after-21-year-old-inmate-died-from-dehydration/
Jail nurse charged with homicide after death of 21-year-old inmate http://kutv.com/news/local/jail-nurse-charged-with-homicide-after-death-of-21-year-old-inmate
Nurse Charged In Death Of Duchesne County Inmate http://kuer.org/post/nurse-charged-death-duchesne-county-inmate#stream/0
Utah leads the nation in per capita jail deaths http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/utah-leads-the-nation-in-per-capita-jail-deaths/862613924
Investigating The Many Deaths In Utah’s Jails https://www.npr.org/2017/12/17/571443634/investigating-the-many-deaths-in-utahs-jails
Utah Jails, Prisons To Get New Safety Standards After Deaths And Controversy http://keranews.org/post/utah-jails-prisons-get-new-safety-standards-after-deaths-and-controversy
Jails should use minimum, public standards to protect inmates https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/editorial/2018/01/31/tribune-editorial-jails-should-use-minimum-public-standards-to-protect-inmates/
The ACLU Is Not Done Fighting For Transparency In County Jails http://kuer.org/post/aclu-not-done-fighting-transparency-county-jails#stream/0
Bill to prevent ‘dying from detox’ moves forward at Utah Legislature https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900011543/bill-to-prevent-dying-from-detox-moves-forward-at-utah-legislature.html
Judge tosses negligent homicide case against Duchesne County jail nurse in dehydration death of inmate https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/02/15/judge-dismisses-negligent-homicide-charge-against-duchesne-county-jail-nurse-in-dehydration-death-of-inmate
Attorney General undecided about appealing decision in Duchesne County jail case http://www.good4utah.com/news/attorney-general-undecided-about-appealing-decision-in-duchesne-county-jail-case/977889946
Utah’s sheriffs can keep long-guarded records on jail operations and inspections secret in a win for a private contractor that could end up in court https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/04/13/utahs-sheriffs-can-keep-long-guarded-records-on-jail-operations-and-inspections-secret-in-a-win-for-a-private-contractor-that-could-end-up-in-court
State starts work on Utah jail death reports, substance abuse study https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/state-starts-work-on-utah-jail-death-reports-substance-abuse/article_3f5418d4-c7a4-5375-a789-f030a7aa1d4f.html
Expert witness defends Davis jail staff in care of fall victim who died of internal bleeding https://www.standard.net/police-fire/expert-witness-defends-davis-jail-staff-in-care-of-fall/article_c5f381eb-72ff-57ad-8fb8-30c947295bbf.html
Mother sues Duchesne County, the sheriff and two medical professionals, accusing them of ‘deliberate indifference’ in daughter’s 2016 jail cell suicide https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/11/24/mother-sues-duchesne/
Mother sues Duchesne County jail over daughter’s death https://www.abc4.com/news/mother-sues-duchesne-county-jail-over-daughter-s-death/1620769801
Mother sues jail over daughter’s suicide, saying it withheld her medicine https://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=46435489
Back-to-Back Jail Deaths Rock Small Utah County https://theappeal.org/back-to-back-jail-deaths-rock-small-utah-county/
Shining light on our jails and justice system will reveal what change is needed https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2018/11/16/commentary-shining-light
Most Utah jails don’t provide top-line withdrawal drugs to addicted inmates https://www.standard.net/news/government/most-utah-jails-don-t-provide-top-line-withdrawal-drugs/article_b765d4c3-73c6-54c1-b40b-7edd7eae3fac.html
ACLU, Disability Law Center File Suit Over Secretive Davis County Jail Standards https://www.kuer.org/post/aclu-disability-law-center-file-suit-over-secretive-davis-county-jail-standards#stream/0
AP Investigation: Many US jails fail to stop inmate suicides http://www.startribune.com/ap-investigation-many-us-jails-fail-to-stop-inmate-suicides/511442932/
Court reinstates case for nurse charged in Madison Jensen’s death in Duchesne jail https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900075459/utah-nurse-jana-clyde-court-reinstates-case-madison-jensen-death-in-duchesne-jail.html
Case reinstated for jail nurse charged after inmate death https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/case-reinstated-for-jail-nurse-charged-after-inmate-death/
A Utah jail nurse will once again face a criminal charge in dehydration death of an inmate, via @sltrib https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/06/14/utah-jail-nurse-will
Utah Jail Nurse Faces Negligent Homicide Charge in Death of 21-Year-Old Woman https://theappeal.org/utah-jail-nurse-faces-negligent-homicide-charge-in-death-of-21-year-old-woman/
Judge cites opioid crisis as suit continues in death of Utah inmate https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900080941/utah-duchesne-inmate-death-nurse-opioid-crisis.html
The Justice Files: New hope for Madison Jensen’s family https://www.abc4.com/justice-files/the-justice-files-new-hope-for-madison-jensens-family/
Deaths at the Salt Lake County jail: Families of inmates say poor care, callous staff must change https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/06/07/deaths-salt-lake-county
Estate of Detainee Who Died After Days of Vomiting May Sue Nurse https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/estate-of-detainee-who-died-after-days-of-vomiting-may-sue-nurse
Court of Appeals rules in favor of deceased jail inmate https://www.abc4.com/news/justice-files/the-justice-files-court-of-appeals-rules-in-favor-of-deceased-jail-inmate/
Trial underway for nurse accused of negligently causing 2016 death in Utah jail https://www.ksl.com/article/50420273/trial-underway-for-nurse-accused-of-negligently-causing-2016-death-in-utah-jail