I'm gonna go against the grain on this one. This smells to me like the corrections facility really fucked up, and mauled this (admittedly horrible) man. The fact that he got a plea bargain that cheep and easily is a good hint that something inside that prison isn't kosher.
Prisons are notoriously abusive, and dangerous places. You don't lose your rights as a human when you get checked in (well not all of them) either.
Seriously though listen to it a little closer.
Quote:
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Describing his injuries, Ballard said he had to learn to talk again and the past four years were "hell". He had suffered mental problems, concentration lapses and needed treatment and medication.
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If the state rolled over that fast it means he could probably demonstrate the injury. Thats also not the sort of injury I think usually comes from falling out of bed.
My guess is that what happened is one of the prison guards beat some brain damage into the man, and this is the announced settlement because he is basically taking a bribe to be silent. (or perhaps he's blackmailing the prison)
Any of explanations I can come up with though still amount to the prison fucking up big time and knowing it. This is one of those cases where we will never know the truth.