Mother raises concerns after son hospitalized in salmonella outbreak at local jail

Monnese Plummer said she first realized something was wrong Wednesday, April 29 when her son called from the jail complaining of severe illness. He told her he had eaten spaghetti for lunch and meatballs with rice for dinner earlier that day.

“He said the meatballs had sauce on them, and I’m pretty sure the sauce might have covered up a taste, a smell or even the color of whatever contaminants were there,” Plummer said.

Plummer’s son was among 23 inmates who became ill last week in what officials have described as a foodborne illness outbreak. The outbreak was not publicly disclosed until several days after inmates began showing symptoms.

Plummer, a professional chef who is ServSafe Certified, said she immediately recognized the potential seriousness of the situation. She speaks with her son nearly every day and said his condition rapidly worsened by Thursday.

According to Plummer, her son struggled to speak or walk, experienced violent vomiting and developed a fever of 102 degrees. She also said he reported seizure-like symptoms as his condition deteriorated.

By the time jail medical staff evaluated him, Plummer said his blood pressure had dropped to dangerous levels. He was treated with multiple IV fluid packs before being transported to a hospital on Friday, where he remained for about 24 hours.

Plummer believes her son should have received hospital care sooner. “I do think that he should have been taken to the hospital earlier,” she said. “If he would have waited one more day, the doctor said that his health could be in jeopardy. It almost felt like they waited until they couldn’t wait anymore.”

Her son is now recovering, she said, but still experiencing lingering effects from the illness.

In the aftermath of the outbreak, Plummer said her son told her that the jail shifted meal service, providing more snacks and bagged lunches instead of hot meals for several days.

She also expressed frustration that the jail did not notify her directly about her son’s condition.

“If I wasn’t in constant contact with him, I never would have known what was going on,” Plummer said.

The St. Joseph County Sheriff oversees the county jail, and that position is up for election in November. Plummer said she wants the next leader to prioritize inmate health and safety.

At this time, officials have not publicly confirmed what caused the salmonella outbreak.