Relatives say inmate's death linked to bad prison water

BOSTON (AP) — Relatives of a Massachusetts inmate who died from cancer say he was exposed to water contaminated with a hazardous chemical before his death.

The Boston Globe reports that Sophia Bishop-Rice lead a rally last weekend in Boston to protest the death of her uncle, Roger Herbert.

Herbert was an inmate at MCI-Norfolk when he became sick in April. Bishop-Rice says Herbert was later diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and died in a hospital last month.

According to state records, 43 percent of water samples collected from the prison between 2011 and 2017 showed high levels of manganese. The chemical can cause brain disorders and other issues.