R. Kelly, the Grammy winner, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday following his conviction for racketeering and sex trafficking last fall. The American singer who is nicknamed “King of R&B” was accused of sexual abuse with young adults and minors.
Though he denied the charges, Kelly was eventually acquitted on 21 counts of making child pornography. He is now suing the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn for their actions against him after receiving a 30-year sentence.
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R. Kelly Is Suing Prison For Putting Him Under Suicide Watch As It Will Harm His Mental Health
Kelly is suing the detention center after they placed him on suicide watch. His lawyer claims the move is for “purely punitive reasons” because he’s a “high-profile inmate.” His lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, argues that his Eighth Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment are being violated.
“MDC has a policy of placing high-profile individuals under the harsh conditions of suicide watch whether they are suicidal or not (this was done recently with Ghislaine Maxwell),” Bonjean told People in a statement.
Bonjean argued that suicide watch “can and does cause serious mental harm” to a non-suicidal inmate because of its harsh restrictions. “Inmates are stripped of their clothing and underwear and dressed in a smock made of material that is akin to the material that moving companies use when wrapping furniture,” the complaint alleges. “They cannot shower or shave and are sometimes not even afford toilet paper. Meals are not provided with utensils, forcing inmates to eat with their hands. They have no ability to consult with loved ones or supportive figures.”
Kelly Found Guilty Of Sexual Abuse, Trafficking And Child Pornography
The complaint also states that inmates on suicide watch are “typically placed in a single cell without bed rails and offered no items of comfort.” While prison officials monitor them around the clock, according to the complaint, the inmates do not receive psychiatric care. Bonjean compared the workings of MDC Brooklyn, as” like a gulag.”
“My partner and I spoke with Mr Kelly following his sentencing,” she wrote. “He expressed that he was mentally fine and ONLY expressed concern that even though he was NOT suicidal, MDC would place him on suicide watch (as they did following the guilty verdict).”
Kelly was to face a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Prosecutors had requested at least 25 years in their sentencing memo, pointing to “the seriousness of the offences, the need for specific deterrence, and the need to protect the public from further crimes.” The New York federal Judge Ann Donnelly said, “This case is not about sex. It is about violence, cruelty, and control.”
The R&B artist was arrested in Chicago in February 2019 on charges of aggravated sexual abuse. He was later accused of racketeering and conspiracy for creating a network to locate girls and transport them across state lines for him to abuse.
Kelly will go on trial for the Chicago charges in August. He will also face charges of child pornography and obstruction of justice in Minnesota.
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