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Woman Settles Solitary Confinement Lawsuit With New Mexico County For $1.6 Million

A woman who says she was kept in a filthy, isolated New Mexico jail cell for months at a time has agreed to a $1.6 million settlement.

Fifty-one-year-old Jan Green filed a federal lawsuit last year against Valencia County, alleging she was held in deplorable conditions on and off for two years.

According to the lawsuit, Green was kept in conditions so bad that a sock rotted into an open wound on her foot. Court papers also say Green, who suffers from a mental illness, was denied feminine hygiene products for lengthy stretches and was "allowed to bleed on herself for months at a time."

The settlement also calls for Valencia County Detention Center to make changes to its solitary confinement policies, including not holding inmates in solitary for more than 48 hours.

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