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New York AG's Office Sues Prison Health Care Provider After Nassau County Inmate Deaths

ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a lawsuit Monday against a prison health services company for allegedly failing to provide proper services at the jail in Nassau County.

The Attorney General's office filed the lawsuit in New York Supreme Court, alleging that Armor Correctional Health Medical Services, a Florida-based company that is under an $11 million yearly contract with the Nassau County Correctional Center, either failed to perform or underperformed on many obligations.

Since Armor took over at the Nassau County jail in 2011, 12 inmates have died in custody at the jail. One died just last week, and three others since March, the Attorney General's office said.

"It's a horrible scene medically, psychiatrically, psychologically, black mold all over the place; the inmates that got out have described the conditions within," Dr. Dean Hart, president of the advocacy group Long Island Citizens for Good Government, told 1010 WINS in March.

The lawsuit accuses Armor of false and fraudulent billing and deceptive business practices. The Attorney General's office also said Armor's alleged failure to provide proper medical care had a dramatic detrimental impact on the sick prisoners' conditions.

The suit seeks fines and damages, an independent monitor to ensure compliance with Armor's contract in Nassau County, and a ban on future bids by Armor to provide health services in New York state.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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