Austin Witthaus Died In Custody At Marion County Jail

Wrongful Death - January 25, 2023

Austin Witthaus, 25, Died While Staying At The Marion County Jail

Austin Witthaus Died In Custody At Marion County Jail

MARION COUNTY, ILLINOIS (January 18, 2022) – An inmate identified as Austin Witthaus died after going into medical distress at the Marion County Jail.

Marion County officials are saying that the incident took place on Sunday. Correctional officers were patrolling the jail when they noticed that Austin Witthaus was in some type of medical distress.

EMTs were called to the scene and took over life-saving measures from correctional officers. The inmate was flow to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.

Sadly, Austin Witthaus died at the hospital. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

Liability For Marion County Inmate Deaths

Illinois has a rather poor track record when it comes to properly caring for inmates. According to data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, around 80 to 100 people died in custody while staying at an Illinois prison from 2010 to 2021. Many of these deaths are from natural causes. But a large number are due to jails that fail to give inmates adequate care, especially during medical emergencies. There are a umber of steps that jails should take to keep inmates safe during their stays.

  • Correctional officers should be well trained.
  • Jails should be adequately staffed.
  • Inmates should receive a health screening before being admitted.

Every jail in Illinois has a legal obligation to provide inmates with reasonably adequate healthcare. When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. For example, correctional officers may not have given an inmate proper care before, during or after an inmate went into medical distress. It is extremely important that all evidence is properly preserved after any in-custody death.

Investigating A Marion County Inmate Death

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Austin Witthaus. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to make the Marion County Jail a safer place for all that stay there.

Do you need more information about a Marion County inmate death? Our team of inmate’s rights advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.