Josh Duggar’s prison accused of ‘inhumane conditions’ by ‘serving food with maggots’ and denying medical care in lawsuit

JOSH Duggar’s prison has been accused of inhumane conditions by storing bug-ridden food near trash and denying medical care, an inmate of FCI Seagoville has claimed in a lawsuit filed in February of this year.

Josh, 36, is serving a 151-month sentence at FCI Seagoville in Dallas, Texas on child pornography charges. 

The U.S. Sun has exclusively obtained a recent lawsuit from a prisoner accusing the facility of "inhumane conditions."

In the lawsuit filed on February 26, 2024, inmate Jua-Deno Peterson sued FCI Seagoville. 

He claimed wardens at the facility violated human rights, as he suffered "mental distress" while at the prison. 

An email dated November 8, 2023 was included in the complaint from Jua-Deno to a warden. 

“I write this letter to formally demand an immediate cessation of all inhumane treatment and actions taken against myself at the Federal Correctional Institution Seagoville, as alleged by denied medical services and food stored next to trash, and under 2000 cal per day meals, verbal assaults by staff, vocational program, grievance procedures, secure environment, communication with the outside world 400 min a month, free speech, physical health care, mental health care," he alleged.

“These are all inhumane conditions under human rights for ALL humans.

“The purpose of this letter is to place you on notice and to demand that these actions that undermine human rights and dignity at the facility be halted with immediate effect," the email ended.

The warden’s secretary responded via email, “If you need to attend sick call follow the process and request in the AM when the nurse comes around... If it is outside the sick call hours and you feel it is emergent contact the nearest staff member.

"If you are in need a psychology staff feel free to send them a cop-out and they will come see you over at the jail. 

“Meals are served according to the national menu in the appropriate serving sizes. If you have questions on additional food service you can direct them via cop-out to Food Service.

“The minutes for each inmate to communicate is set at the national level by policy. You also can send regular letters and if your charges allow you can send emails from your account.”

In another email dated the same day, Jua-Deno claims he was denied medical care for the third day in a row to be “looked at for seizures or some other issues related to brain issues.”

Health services responded with the hours available to see a doctor and advised him to speak to the nurse in his unit. 

In an email dated November 7, 2023, to Food Service, Jua-Deno wrote, “Can [you] please stop storing our food and carts next to the trash cans. This is very inhumane.”

In another email, he wrote of an alleged October 24, 2023 incident where an inmate discussed how food trays had maggots. 

Jua-Deno allegedly heard another inmate "talking about the food trays that had maggots in them" and how inmates should have "saved the trays with maggots."

In a November 22, 2023 email to the warden, Jua-Deno alleged, “inhumane living conditions since November 21, raw sewage inside the jail over 24 hours and myself forced to live with sewage.”

He requested $494,658,83. 

FCI Seagoville did not respond to the lawsuit. 

The court instead responded, “It has come to the Court’s attention that Plaintiff is no longer confined at FCI Seagoville or in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

“However, Plaintiff has failed to inform the Court of his current address. On February 28, 2024, shortly after the complaint was filed, the Court notified Plaintiff of the requirement to keep the Court informed of any change of address or this case might be dismissed.”

The case was officially dismissed on May 16. 

Federal Bureau of Prisons told The U.S. Sun, "For privacy, safety and security reasons, the Federal Bureau of Prisons does not comment on matters related to pending litigation, ongoing legal proceedings, or ongoing investigations."

FCI Seagoville did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun's request for comment.

ANOTHER LAWSUIT

This isn’t the first time legal action has been taken against the prison, as The U.S. Sun previously reported one inmate filed a lawsuit against FCI Seagoville after he claimed he was beaten by a fellow inmate. 

On October 6, 2022, an inmate claimed staff released him back into the general public knowing he was “in fear of his life.”

The inmate alleged of a July 27, 2022 incident, “I was assaulted with a lock by an inmate who was paid by other inmates to do the assaulting.”

The prisoner was seen by the medical team and placed in the Special Housing Unit, which is a high-security area used for prisoners who pose a danger to others or are at risk if left in the general public.

The complaint continued, “I informed [staff] I am in fear for my life and can’t stay here. On September 16, I was released back to general public to only have my life threatened again.”

He requested “monetary value” for “all the suffering that occurred by the gross negligence of the staff at this institution.”

The case was dismissed by the judge on December 19 because the inmate failed to respond to the court’s questionnaire despite being given “ample time” to do so. 

According to the Bureau of Federal Prisons, the inmate has been moved from the facility. 

MEDICAL NEGLECT CLAIMS

An insider previously told The U.S. Sun that inmates often suffer medical neglect, as the prison doesn’t always hold “sick call” on the scheduled days.

The source claimed, “My family member hasn't received any medical treatment for it in two and a half years for his disability. He's asked and they keep telling him that he's on the list. 

“He needs glasses, and he's been on the list to get an optometry appointment for over a year and still hasn't gotten any.

“My family member has had situations where he's had a cold or COVID. And sometimes it's a couple of days before he's able to get any kind of attention at all.”

The insider added, “Someone I know said her husband is always sick because he's just constantly always cold and undernourished.”

FCI Seagoville did not respond to The U.S. Sun's request for comment at the time regarding sick call.

LIVING CONDITIONS

The source previously told The U.S. Sun that the inmates live in conditions that make them more susceptible to illness. 

The source claimed to The U.S. Sun, “The food they get is regularly expired. They're just like really disgustingly expired, always by at least a couple of weeks. And it's like milk. All sorts of like stuff that can’t be expired for that long.

“They had a run of cereal that had bugs in it, and so people just couldn't eat their cereal because it was filled with bugs.”

The insider continued to allege that the prison “runs out of food kind of often.”

The source claimed, “It's only ever been like a one or two-day thing at a time, but the portions are also small enough to where if you can't afford to buy food on commissary, you're going hungry.”

JOSH'S LIVING CONDITIONS

As for Josh, The U.S. Sun previously reported he has moved into a renovated dorm with special amenities and privileges. 

“They finished painting the walls and getting flowers put into Dorm 6, where Josh lives. It's been turned into an honors dorm,” a source claimed to The U.S. Sun.

“They get special privileges and building updates because it’s an honors dorm. There are washers and dryers, microwaves, and more.

“They're trying to create a dorm of model inmates.”

The insider added how inmates living in the dorms “can't have any disciplinary actions in a certain amount of time, have to have a job and must sign a code of conduct agreement.”

The insider believes Josh may be getting special treatment, as he does not have the qualifications to live in the dorm. 

“Josh apparently doesn't work, but he is getting a degree and they're counting that as an exception so he can stay.

“According to the rules, he would be disqualified from living there because of his SHU time a couple of years ago, but they've decided to waive that for him.”

Josh was sent to solitary confinement for a short period of time for allegedly sneaking in a cell phone.

JOSH'S LEGAL TROUBLES

Josh was arrested and charged with possessing and receiving child pornography in April 2021. 

He was found guilty after a nearly two-week trial in Arkansas. 

Josh was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison in May and was transferred to FCI Seagoville in June 2022.

Josh's legal team filed an appeal to overturn the conviction and have a new trial in October 2022. 

In one of the arguments, they claimed federal agents allegedly seized Josh's phone when he tried to contact his attorney during a raid at his car lot a year and a half before the arrest. 

The court papers claim he spoke to the agents without counsel present.

The appeal was denied in November 2023 before the Supreme Court officially denied the conviction appeal in 2024.

Josh remains married to his wife Anna, 36, as she has been seen visiting the prison with their seven young children.