Sister concerned for brother's welfare in county jail

Dear Editor & People of Lincoln County,

I am writing in reference to the article, 'Oregon Man Accused of Biting, Spitting on Jail Guard.'

That “man” in the photo is my little brother. I am his sister who lives in California.

First, I’d like to formally apologize to the jail staff and any officers that were affected by his actions.

There are no excuses for his outburst and behavior, but please understand, Dan has no history of drug abuse. He has struggled with mental health issues and I have not been able to help him in over two years. Hearing this and reading this article is honestly heartbreaking.

Dan has been homeless and on the streets since our father passed away in 2018. He doesn’t know how to live without the support of a parent let alone, in a jail and around inmates.

I spoke with an attorney who told me that Lincoln County Jail is “like a dungeon.”

And that he won’t receive an evaluation for 9 to 18 months and will sit in a single occupancy cell until then. I am worried about him and his well being. Jail staff have not been able to confirm if he’s receiving proper medical care, we don’t know if he’s received our money orders, he hasn’t made a phone call, I don’t know anything. They won’t tell us much.

Ultimately, our goal as a family is to get him to California back home so he can get the proper care he needs. To stabilize his mental health and see him be a productive member of society.

I have reached out to attorneys, ACLU and doctors to try to get this resolved.

Heidi Hendrix, Santa Margarita, California