R. Kelly was placed on suicide watch at the Brooklyn jail where he is being housed after being sentenced to 30 years in prison earlier this week, according to his attorney. Kelly is a convicted sexual predator and former R&B superstar.
R. Kelly Suing Prison
Jennifer Bonjean, a defense attorney, asserted that guards at the detention facility, which she characterized as a "gulag," punished Kelly by placing him on watch.
Kelly is now suing for damages from emotional distress, per TMZ.
"Mr. Kelly was placed on suicide watch for purely punitive reasons in violation of his Eighth Amendment rights. MDC has a policy of placing high profile individuals under the harsh conditions of suicide watch whether they are suicidal or not (this was done recently with Ghislaine Maxwell)," Bonjean said in an earlier statement, referring to Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirator who is also locked up at the Sunset Park jail.
"MDC Brooklyn is being run like a gulag. My partner and I spoke with Mr. Kelly following his sentencing, he expressed that he was mentally fine and ONLY expressed concern that even though he was NOT suicidal, MDC would place him on suicide watch," she added.
R. Kelly Being Placed in Suicide Watch is Torture
On suicide watch, convicts are observed 24 hours a day, seven days a week in a room devoid of comfort goods such as books and periodicals, according to Bonjean.
Those placed under this watch are meant to spend their days completely alone. They are stripped of their clothing and undergarments and forced to wear a smock made of a material similar to the blankets used by moving companies. They are forbidden eating utensils. They are unable to bathe or shave, the lawyer detailed.
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She added that while these measures are certainly required for someone truly suicical, the same could be terrifying for someone who is not. She added that the only justification for putting someone who is not suicidal to these extreme conditions is punishment.
A Bureau of Prisons representative declined to comment on Kelly, but stated that the department s "dedicated to maintaining the safety and security of all of their inmates as well as staff and personnel, and the general public.
R. Kelly Sentenced to 30 Years
Wednesday, Kelly, 55, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering and other crimes related to a criminal operation he conducted for decades.
These operations allowed him to sexually assault a number of his followers and others he attracted into his inner circle.
Jovante Cunningham, one of Kelly's victims, stated in court before the federal judge imposed the 30-year sentence, "With every addition of a new victim, you grew in wickedness."
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