Resident urges action on husband’s treatment at Strafford County jail; county staff offer meeting and dietary options

Mary, a resident who spoke during the meeting’s public-comment period, described ongoing health and care concerns for her husband, identified in the record as Chris Rodney, who has been held in the Strafford County corrections facility for 15 days. Mary said the detention followed application of a statutory preventive-detention provision she cited as "RSA 5 97 2." She said her husband has lost a significant amount of weight since incarceration and that medication and environmental conditions were contributing to his decline.

In the meeting Mary said, “He is now down to a hundred and 84 pounds.” She told commissioners the jail had approved kosher meals to meet religious requirements but that the meals were not always suitable for her husband, who has no teeth and cannot eat some of the provided items. Mary described the jail environment as cold and said her husband had received crushed tramadol rather than the time-release form his doctor prescribed; she said she provided a doctor’s letter to county staff requesting the original formulation.

Mary also alleged communications issues with outside prosecutors and police and asked the board to intervene. She said she would pursue legislative changes to the statute she cited because she believes the law places people like her husband inappropriately in county custody.

County staff responded with offers of follow-up. A county official who identified himself as the county administrator and who said he supervises Riverside and the jail invited Mary to meet with staff and said a staff member named Chris would be available the next day to arrange accommodations. Ben, identified in the meeting as a corrections staff member, told Mary he expected to be able to address immediate weight loss with a nutritional supplement and said, “protein shakes and get it approved by the doctor.” The county administrator said staff would check ingredients and dietary restrictions before approval.

The board did not take formal action to change the detainee’s status during the meeting. County staff recorded a willingness to meet with Mary, to explore daily weights and to coordinate with the detainee’s doctor and the jail medical provider on dietary supplements or other accommodations.

Speakers in the meeting noted they had previously engaged with the legislature and legal advisers about the statutory change Mary cited; county officials said their role was to manage operations within the constraints of state law and to follow court and prosecutorial processes.