Sickle Cell And Deaths In Custody

Sickle cell is a multi-system disorder that in the USA and the UK predominantly, but not exclusively, affects those of black and minority ethnic communities. The disorder is not widely understood, so, when a sudden death of a black man in official custody is blamed on sickle cell trait (for example, Martin Lee Anderson in the USA or Alton Manning in the UK) the worlds of health, criminal justice, and black politics collide. This ground-breaking book examines: The myths about sickle cell disease The context of racism in the criminal justice systems in the UK and USA The misuse of sickle cell trait to explain away sudden deaths in custody The historic neglect of health care within prisons in the UK and USA The lack of care for those with sickle cell disease within the criminal justice system The lessons both for criminal justice systems, and for human rights and sickle cell campaigners.