NORFOLK, Va. — Nearly three years after a 24-year-old man died by suicide inside the Norfolk City Jail, his family has reached a $950,000 settlement with jail officials, bringing closure to a case that raised questions about inmate mental health care and jail procedures.
Philemon Vinson died Aug. 18, 2022, four days after he was booked into the Norfolk City Jail on a misdemeanor charge for failing to appear in court.
A judge denied his bond.
His mother, Jamie Vinson, later filed a wrongful-death lawsuit alleging jail staff failed to follow procedures meant to protect inmates experiencing mental health crises.
News 3's Jay Greene first reported on the lawsuit when it was filed in 2023.
Court documents showed Vinson indicated during intake screening that he was feeling hopeless — a response that, according to jail policy cited in the lawsuit, should have triggered suicide prevention measures and an urgent mental health referral.
Instead, the lawsuit alleged he was placed in general population and never received the required follow-up care.
Jamie Vinson said the family struggled for months to understand what happened.
“It was frustrating,” she said. “You just want to get answers and know what happened.”
Court records later revealed additional concerns, including allegations that deputies responsible for making regular cell checks failed to look inside Vinson’s cell for hours.
His body was not discovered until later that afternoon.
“If the guard had been doing his rounds … maybe he could have prevented that,” Jamie Vinson said.
Attorney Randy Singer, who represented the family, said multiple breakdowns led to the tragedy.
“If the sheriff’s office had followed their own policies and procedures, this could have been avoided,” Singer said.
Singer said the family’s focus was ensuring changes were made to prevent future deaths.
“Jamie wasn’t focused on money,” Singer said. “She wanted justice, and she wanted to make sure this didn’t happen to another family.”
The settlement, reached earlier this year, resolves claims against jail officials, though litigation involving the jail’s former medical contractor continues separately in bankruptcy court.
Most settlement funds will go into trusts benefiting Vinson’s children.
“I just really wanted to know what happened with my son,” Jamie Vinson said. “And I’m glad his kids will be taken care of.”
Singer said the case prompted reforms inside the jail, including increased staffing and funding for inmate mental health services.
“They committed to an additional budget increase of four million dollars a year for health care and mental health, and increased mental health staffing,” Singer said.
Singer said the case reflects broader challenges correctional facilities face nationwide.
“There is a mental health care crisis in our jail system across the country,” he said. “A lot of times departments don’t have sufficient staff or resources.”
The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office confirmed the case has been settled and said changes have been made inside the jail since Vinson’s death to reduce the chance of a similar incident happening again.
Jamie Vinson said her hope now is that her son’s story encourages families to pay attention to loved ones struggling with mental health issues.
“Just give them extra attention,” she said. “Spend as much time with them as you can, because you never know.”
