BANGOR – State corrections investigators looking into the alcohol-related death of a Penobscot County Jail inmate nearly a year ago found the jail’s medical provider failed to evaluate the inmate properly, as well as shortcomings inside the jail itself, revelations the attorney for the estate of the dead man characterized as “shocking.”

Released on Tuesday by Penobscot County Sheriff Glenn Ross, the Maine Department of Corrections investigators’ report concluded the jail’s contracted medical staff at no time performed a medical exam or provided treatment to 42-year-old Bruce Hansen, who had been brought in Aug. 31 on a warrant with $10 bail. The state Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Hansen’s death on Sept. 3 was related to alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Intoxicated, uncooperative and violent at times, Hansen was placed in holding cell No. 123 where he kicked at walls and hallucinated, the report said.

Advised by jail staff that Hansen might be going through detoxification, the medical staff contracted through the Augusta-based Allied Resources for Correctional Health Inc. told jail personnel to observe Hansen as it was not possible to treat him while he was going through the detoxification process, Ross said.

“Our role is not to diagnose or to treat, but to observe and report those findings to medical staff,” Ross told reporters Tuesday. “In the case of Mr. Hansen, that’s exactly what … occurred.”

Findings in the report released by Ross indicated no treatment was given to Hansen even though medical staff knew “he might have been going through alcohol withdrawal as conveyed to them by correctional staff.”

Investigators reported the licensed practical nurses at the jail appeared to have been working beyond the scope of their licenses and weren’t being supervised by a registered nurse on-site.

The report also indicated missteps were made by jail staff, including a contentious conclusion that corrections officers didn’t follow their own rules by waking Hansen every 15 minutes while in a special holding cell to make sure he was well. However, investigators concluded through interviews, log entries and the medical examiner’s report that it was not possible for the staff to conduct their quarter-hour checks.

Ross, noting that improvements in staffing already have been made including hiring more officers and having a nighttime lieutenant supervisor, disagreed with the report’s findings on the observations. He said waking inmates is necessary only when there are no other indications of life and that waking an already agitated inmate isn’t always advisable.

In Hansen’s case, the checks were done without necessarily waking him. Corrections officers reported seeing Hansen’s arm move at 5:30 a.m. Sept. 3, although the State Medical Examiner’s Office found Hansen to be in full rigor mortis at 7:01 a.m. Full rigor mortis doesn’t develop until six to 12 hours after death, the report noted.

Ross said he has seen a body make movements after death, but, in this case, it’s a discrepancy he can’t completely answer.

“Whether they have observed something other than life, I cannot attest to that, but I know they were in there doing their checks. They were paying attention … every 15 minutes,” Ross said.

The state corrections report raised questions about the conditions in the holding cell, noting paper and human waste were found throughout the cell and no action was taken by supervisors to ensure it was clean.

“Extremely shocking” is how Don Brown, attorney for the estate of Bruce Hansen, described the revelations contained in the corrections investigators’ report. However, Brown credited Ross with keeping the Hansen family updated, providing them with the report and answering questions before he released the information to the media Tuesday.

Regarding whether the family intends to take legal action, Brown would say only that there is still more information they need to review.