VIDEO – PRISONS SUCK –
Dec. 18, 2025 – Rana Schmidt remembers her daughter, Elissa Lindhorst, as having a creative soul with a special place in her heart for animals. The 28-year-old died on Feb. 24, 2020, just four days after she was booked into Illinois’ Madison County Jail on an outstanding warrant for unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Lindhorst’s death was brought on by opioid withdrawal symptoms going ignored and untreated by the jail medical staff, according to court records from a civil suit filed by Schmidt in 2022.
“They just don’t treat them like they would if someone was having a heart condition,” said Schmidt. “They just act like they deserve it. They don’t view them as people.”
Lindhorst’s story is one example of how substance withdrawal while in custody can sometimes escalate to severe medical emergencies. Illinois sheriffs and jail staff interviewed for this series said managing opioid and alcohol withdrawal is one of their biggest challenges. Symptoms could include nausea, insomnia, anxiety, increased body temperature, racing heart, muscle and bone pain, sweating, chills and high blood pressure.
