California jails saw historic numbers of in-custody deaths as inmate populations shrank. Now, they are expected to grow again as Proposition 36 takes effect.
According to Justice Department statistics, a surge in overdoses drove the trend of increasing jail deaths. The other leading causes were suicide and the catch-all term “natural causes.”
There should be near zero OD deaths in jails. They are supposed to be monitored. I’m sure they aren’t monitored well enough, but I also doubt that is the driving trend unless those ODs were assisted by guards turning the other way. There’s really no good excuse for it. It’s not like you generally die of an OD within seconds.
There should be near zero OD deaths in jails. They are supposed to be monitored. I’m sure they aren’t monitored well enough, but I also doubt that is the driving trend unless those ODs were assisted by guards turning the other way. There’s really no good excuse for it. It’s not like you generally die of an OD within seconds.