Lacey Higdem was 19 and in crisis. Jailers did nothing. Now there’s a $2m settlement

In a case that has drawn national attention and raised serious concerns about inmate care and civil rights, a $2 million legal settlement has been reached in the lawsuit over the 2020 death of 19-year-old Lacey Higdem while in custody at Rolette County Jail in North Dakota. The agreement marks the conclusion of a years-long legal battle initiated by Higdem’s mother, Jessica Allen, who filed a wrongful death suit in 2022 alleging deliberate indifference by jail staff and medical negligence by hospital providers.

According to court filings and statements from Allen’s attorneys, Higdem died on June 4, 2020, just hours after being booked into the facility on charges of disorderly conduct and preventing arrest. Her death was attributed to methamphetamine toxicity. Legal documents assert that the young mother’s deteriorating mental and physical state was met with inaction from jail officials, leading to a preventable tragedy that has since prompted scrutiny over correctional health protocols in North Dakota.

How did a drug overdose lead to a civil rights lawsuit?

The lawsuit stems from events that unfolded on June 3, 2020, when a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer responded to reports of a woman crying for help in the woods near Belcourt, a town within the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Rolette County. The officer encountered Higdem in what witnesses described as a delusional and erratic condition. Despite these visible symptoms of a possible mental health or substance-induced crisis, Higdem was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, only to be discharged prematurely, according to the complaint.

Rather than being transferred to a facility equipped for behavioral health or detox treatment, Higdem was booked into the Rolette County Jail. Within hours, her condition worsened. Surveillance footage, eyewitness testimony, and the lawsuit’s claims indicate she displayed disoriented behavior, including hallucinations and incoherence. The lawsuit contends that correctional staff ignored clear signs of a medical emergency, and no steps were taken to secure additional medical intervention. Higdem was found unresponsive during a cell check and pronounced dead shortly afterward—approximately nine hours after being placed in custody.

What were the legal arguments and outcomes in the wrongful death case?

Filed in 2022, the civil suit named Rolette County, two former correctional officers, and unnamed medical providers as defendants. The key legal argument centered on the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, which protect individuals in custody from cruel and unusual punishment and guarantee due process, respectively. Attorneys representing Allen argued that Higdem’s death was the direct result of “deliberate indifference to her serious medical needs,” a legal standard often cited in civil rights claims involving jail and prison deaths.

The North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund, which provides liability coverage to public entities in the state, will pay the $2 million settlement. The judgment is expected to be entered shortly, finalizing the financial resolution. Claims related to Higdem’s care at the hospital were settled separately through a confidential agreement, according to lead counsel Andy Noel.

Though the civil case has concluded, the criminal consequences for those involved were limited. The two correctional officers faced misdemeanor charges for public servant refusal to perform duty. They entered Alford pleas—acknowledging that the state likely had enough evidence to convict without admitting guilt—and received sentences that included unsupervised probation and fines. Per a court order, their records were sealed after completion of their sentences.

How does this case reflect broader issues in inmate healthcare and jail oversight?

The death of Lacey Higdem is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of inmate fatalities that have exposed gaps in medical and mental health care within county jails. According to data compiled by civil liberties and justice reform groups, inadequate access to timely medical intervention, particularly in rural or under-resourced correctional facilities, remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. incarceration system.

Inmate advocacy organizations have pointed to the Rolette County case as a prime example of what happens when correctional staff are not adequately trained to recognize and respond to medical crises, especially those involving substance use or behavioral health emergencies. The fact that Higdem was released from a hospital without adequate stabilization and then booked into jail raises questions about the continuum of care—or lack thereof—between healthcare systems and the criminal justice system.

Moreover, the use of jails as a de facto substitute for mental health facilities has been widely criticized. Studies from the National Institute of Corrections and the American Psychological Association have shown that individuals with untreated mental health conditions are disproportionately represented in the jail population. Higdem’s experience echoes concerns voiced by experts for years: that jails are not, and should not be, the front line of care for individuals in crisis.

What changes could result from the Lacey Higdem settlement?

Although monetary settlements do not equate to systemic reform, cases like this often serve as catalysts for change. In the wake of Higdem’s death, there have been renewed calls in North Dakota to implement mandatory training for correctional staff on mental health first aid and overdose response. There is also advocacy for creating better coordination between local hospitals and jail facilities, particularly in cases involving young women, substance abuse, or mental health red flags.

Legal experts believe the financial liability incurred by the North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund could encourage counties across the state to reevaluate their risk exposure when handling detainees with urgent health needs. Settlements in civil rights cases, while not an admission of guilt, do place public institutions under pressure to demonstrate that corrective measures are being taken.

In her public statement, Jessica Allen emphasized that no mother should have to endure the pain of knowing her child died alone when help was within reach. Her message resonated across social media platforms, reigniting debates about criminal justice reform, maternal grief, and the state’s responsibilities toward incarcerated individuals.

Why Lacey Higdem’s case continues to matter

Nearly five years after her death, the case of Lacey Higdem remains a stark reminder of the fragility of life behind bars—especially for young individuals navigating trauma, addiction, or mental health crises. Her story underscores the urgent need for integrated care models that prioritize treatment over punishment and for jail systems that can identify when an inmate is experiencing a medical emergency requiring outside intervention.

The $2 million settlement may close the chapter on the legal proceedings, but the questions it raised—about accountability, systemic neglect, and human dignity—will continue to shape public discourse in North Dakota and beyond. As the justice system reckons with how it treats its most vulnerable populations, Higdem’s story is now part of a larger national narrative about who receives care and who is ignored in moments of need.

The attention drawn by this case also highlights a growing consensus among legal scholars and correctional reform advocates: that transparency, accountability, and proper medical protocols must be central to any jail system that hopes to prevent similar tragedies in the future.