Orange County Sheriff’s Office Calls Medical Neglect Allegations Inside Jail ‘Rumors’

GOSHEN, N.Y. – Immigration and human rights advocates have long alleged medical neglect and inhumane treatment of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Orange County Jail. At a county legislative committee meeting on April 22, Orange County Undersheriff Evelyn Mallard said the allegations were baseless.

“They’re not documenting anything factual,” said Mallard during the county’s Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee meeting. “I’m gonna say it’s rumors because I have not seen anything that is actually documented but it appears to be coming from verbal allegations from [one] person to the next to the next.”

The New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) has documented allegations of medical neglect and poor treatment for about a decade. Their latest report, published in 2025, details alleged neglect of follow-up care, improper prescriptions, denial of medication, and lack of nutrition and language access.

The Orange County Jail in Goshen has served as an ICE detention facility since 2008. In 2023, ICE detainees held a hunger strike over poor conditions and mistreatment at the facility.

READ: Advocates Push to End Orange County Jail’s Contract with ICE

Orange County Legislators Genesis Ramos and Matthew Fascaldi requested that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office address some of the concerns that some legislators say they’ve received many calls and emails about from residents.

“I appreciate that the Sheriff’s Office came forward and [answered] our questions in a public and transparent way, but I personally am committed to continue to monitor the situation and to continue to just keep an eye out for any concerns that are coming up from the community,” said Ramos, who represents the City and Town of Newburgh.

Still, Ramos says she’s limited in what the legislature can do with the county jail’s ICE contract. Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus is responsible for overseeing and executing the contract.

Jail’s past and current providers tied to medical neglect allegations

Orange County Undersheriff Mallard said those making accusations have not reviewed any medical records of inmates and calls the claims “generic.”

The 43-page report by NYLPI alleges in detail instances of follow-up care neglect that led to vision change, infection, degenerative bone disease, and stroke-like symptoms.

Amit S., an incarcerated person named in the report, said that their planned follow-up for conditions such as possible Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease never occurred.

While some legislators say that allegations of medical neglect stem from WellPath, the jail’s previous medical vendor, its new provider has a similar track record of alleged inadequate care in prisons.

Since January 2025, Orange County Jail has contracted with YesCare, formerly Corizon, as its medical vendor. Corizon faced over 660 medical malpractice lawsuits and ultimately filed for bankruptcy due to unresolved medical claims.

The number of people detained by ICE at the Orange County Jail has more than doubled since the start of the Trump administration, according to a New York Focus investigation.

Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta told Radio Catskill that the jail has about two to three doctors on rotation for its roughly 430 inmates. “There’re more than enough,” said Arteta about adequate staffing at the jail.

Image: Orange County Sheriff’s Office responds to questions from Orange County legislators at the Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee meeting on April 22, 2026 in Goshen, N.Y. (Photo Credit: Kimberly Izar)