Medical records released after photos of sick-looking inmate go viral

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA/Gray News) - The Alabama Department of Corrections released the medical records of an inmate after images of him looking physically thin and sick went viral online, prompting a public outcry on social media.

The corrections department released the medical records of 32-year-old Kastellio Vaughan Tuesday. The department also disclosed additional details about Vaughan’s medical history that have contributed to his physical condition, according to WSFA.

WSFA reports thousands of people have shared a post made by a Mobile woman who said she received disturbing images of her brother from inside the Elmore Correctional Facility saying, “Get help.”

“What if that was your family, and you got a picture of your big brother, and your big brother looked dead,” Kastellio Vaughan’s sister, Kacie Vaughan, told WSFA. “For his eyes to be rolled back, and him just sitting right there in the general population, ‘I’m like, this like a zombie.’”

The inmate’s family said Kastellio Vaughan appeared healthy when they visited him in June. However, they said he called them and complained about stomach issues in early September. His family said he also requested medical treatment.

“And no one was giving it [treatment] to him, and when they did, it was like the minimum,” Kacie Vaughan told WSFA.

Upon first knowing Kastellio Vaughan’s condition, his family said they reached out to the Department of Corrections. The family said the department promised Kastellio Vaughan would be in good care.

However, the family said the communication went silent when they received the disturbing images. They turned to social media then, looking for help.

The corrections department issued a statement, saying they offered Kastellio Vaughan medical treatment on Aug. 5 and admitted him to Jackson Hospital in August for a bowel obstruction. The department said he underwent surgery for a complication from a previous gunshot wound.

After the surgery, the department said Kastellio Vaughan chose to be discharged against medical advice on Aug. 10

The department said Kastellio Vaughan was again admitted to Jackson Hospital on Sept. 3 for post-surgical complications and that he again opted to be discharged against medical advice on Sept. 7. They said he also refused medications.

According to the department, Kastellio Vaughan has refused medical assessment and treatment while in custody following his return, against medical advice from Jackson Hospital.

“The corrections department offers medical assessment and treatment to all inmates but does not force them to accept that care,” the Alabama Department of Corrections said in a statement.

Kastellio Vaughan is serving a 25-year sentence on multiple charges out of Baldwin and Mobile counties for unlawfully breaking into a vehicle and first-degree robbery, according to authorities.

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