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Public commenter urges Kent council to review jail policies after death in custody
Summary
During public comment a speaker identified as TJ said Rena Flattery died in a Kent jail cell in April 2025 and urged the council to review an April 15 workshop video and jail practices, raising questions about access to medically assisted treatment for detainees; the council did not record a response in the transcript.
A public commenter who identified himself as TJ told the council he had heard concerning reports about conditions in the Kent jail and that Rena Flattery died in custody in April 2025. TJ urged council members to review an April 15 training/workshop video presented to the council and recommended the council examine whether policies restricted access to medically assisted treatment (MAT) for detainees.
TJ said he began hearing concerns in December and January and referenced an April 15 workshop presentation by a law-enforcement representative (named in the transcript as Mike Armstrong) about detox and MAT programs. The commenter described the circumstances of Flattery’s death as occurring “in a cold cement cell, no blanket, just a pad on the floor” and framed the issue as a matter of the city’s responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of people in custody.
The transcript records TJ’s allegation and request for review; it does not record a response from the council or staff during the meeting. The claim raises an issue appropriate for official follow-up: verification of the circumstances of the death, review of custody medical policies and whether detainees had access to MAT or other required medical care at the relevant times.
