A local mother is raising serious concerns about the treatment of her mentally ill son at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center in Augusta, alleging he has suffered multiple violent assaults while in custody, including a recent attack that left him hospitalized.
Vontricia Bolton says her 42-year-old son, Darius Lester Sr., has been held in the facility since Aug. 23, 2024, awaiting a judicial decision on whether he can be transferred to a mental health facility.
Lester, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychosis, was placed in jail for a probation revocation after failing to complete a mental health program. According to Bolton, the failure was not due to willful noncompliance, but because “they were not able to stabilize him” and instead sent him to jail.
Since being incarcerated, Bolton says her son has been the victim of repeated attacks, including one just days ago that left him with a broken nose, a lacerated lip requiring stitches, and swelling so severe that “his eyes were swollen shut and had to be clamped open.”
“He should be in a hospital bed somewhere,” Bolton said in an emotional interview. “Instead, they put him in solitary confinement with no phone calls, no visitation, right after coming back from the hospital.”
She claims there was no guard present when her son was attacked, and that overcrowding and inadequate supervision are ongoing issues at the jail. Bolton also says this is not the first time her son has been injured behind bars. She alleges that during a previous stay, he suffered a broken arm, a stabbing, and a beating by other inmates or officers.
Bolton says the system has repeatedly failed not just her son, but her family. “My daughter, my son, and now my grandson,” she said, referencing a separate recent incident where she claims her grandson was “brutally attacked” in the same jail.
When reached for comment, Maj. Chester Huffman, who oversees operations at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center, confirmed Lester was injured.
“I believe the case is still under investigation and formal charges are also pending,” Huffman said. “I can confirm that he was definitely involved in an altercation in his housing unit and was sent out for injuries.”
Maj. Huffman said he would provide details on the criminal assault once the investigation is concluded.
Bolton, however, remains unconvinced that justice or adequate care will be provided. “He’s not a criminal. He’s sick,” she said. “All he needs is help. … The judicial system has only failed him.”
As of now, Lester remains in the detention center, still awaiting a decision from Superior Court Judge Jesse C. Stone regarding his transfer to a mental health facility.
