Deaf man murdered in Baltimore jail: Javarick Gantt
A 34-year-old deaf man named Javarick Gantt was killed in a Baltimore jail on October 9 after being incarcerated for four months. His mother is asking for answers on who killed his son and whether he was in a safe place as a deaf person. There are also questions on whether the jail, the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center, provided Javarick with accommodations required under federal and state laws.
The Baltimore Banner’s criminal justice reporter Ben Conarck wrote an extensive article about Javarick’s case that was published last week. I will recap it and provide some updates.
Gantt was incarcerated on July 1 after being arrested on a warrant due to not meeting with his probation officer. He had two cases in the Maryland court system. He was held in jail without bail. He was facing charges from 2019 that included allegations of assault and groping.
Conarck reported that he was informed by a person familiar with Gantt’s case that he needed two interpreters for his court appearances: an ASL interpreter and a certified deaf interpreter. That person said it would be very difficult for Gantt to communicate while inside the jail.
The agency that runs the jail in Baltimore is the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). The agency said Gantt was found unresponsive at 6:30 a.m. on October 9 and that staff began lifesaving efforts, but he was pronounced dead 20 minutes later. The death has been ruled a homicide. DPSCS said it would investigate the killing and announce charges against a suspect in conjunction with the state’s attorney’s office.
Conarck said Gantt’s mother, Quinette Gantt, said she was told that Javarick was strangled to death.
A GoFundMe for Javarick’s family that was set up by Quinette’s sister, Anchanette Gantt, explained that Javarick was murdered “by his cellmate.”
I called Quinette via relay service on Monday and asked for updates on whether a suspect has been identified and charged. She said she got a call from the state attorney’s office on Friday that said they are still investigating and are waiting for videos to come back.
Quinette said she hopes to get answers on why Javarick was in the cell with a regular inmate, saying he should have been in a reformatory — someplace else that was better suited for him.
Quinette said there is a memorial service this weekend in Florida and that Javarick’s ashes will be brought there. Javarick’s birthday was supposed to take place next week so the family plans to have both the memorial and the birthday together.
I viewed a Facebook video post of several deaf people who recently gathered to hold an outdoor vigil in honor of Javarick. The group lit candles and released balloons into the sky.
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The Baltimore Banner said it asked the DPSCS on where exactly Gantt was being housed inside the facility and whether his housing status was appropriate but did not get answers to these specific questions. The DPSCS said it would look at “whether the deceased’s disability played any role in this case.”
Kelby Brick, Director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, tweeted a statement offering his condolences to Javarick’s family and friends. Brick explained that the DPSCS is conducting a criminal and administrative investigation into his death and that it is standard policy to not comment on pending investigations.
The Maryland Association of the Deaf President Kirsten Poston said the organization is deeply saddened to hear about Gantt’s killing and is demanding an independent investigation. The MDAD said they have questions on whether the jail provided accommodations that were in compliance with federal law and a recent court settlement between deaf inmates and the DPSCS.
Advocates said Javarick’s case is another example of how people with disabilities are mistreated and suffer when they become incarcerated.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-love-in-memories-of-javarick-gantt