Christian Littrell Died In Custody At Winnebago County Jail In Rockford
Wrongful Death - August 11, 2022
Christian Littrell Died After Being Found Unresponsive In Winnebago County Jail In Rockford
ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS (August 10, 2022) – An inmate identified as Christian Littrell, 44, died after being found unresponsive in his cell at Winnebago County Jail in Rockford.
Winnebago County Jail officials are saying that the incident began around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Correctional officers found Christian Littrell unresponsive in his jail cell.
Officers began life-saving measures as first responders were called. Christian Littrell was transported to the hospital, but he could not be saved.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Autopsy results in the coming days will likely shed some light on a potential cause of death.
Liability In Rockford Inmate Deaths
Far too many inmates die needlessly in custody every year. A large portion of these deaths are due to inadequate care and neglect. This is especially true for the Illinois Department of Corrections, which was the target of a scathing 2022 report for its shortcomings. According to the Chicago Tribune, “The Illinois Department of Corrections is again under fire for failing to provide adequate health care for the roughly 29,000 prisoners in its system.” Shortcomings cited in the report included mistreatment of elderly inmates, a lack of doctors and nurses and poor record keeping. There are a number of steps that jails should take in order to keep inmates safe.
- Correctional officers should receive adequate training.
- Correctional officers should be able to identify when an inmate is in medical distress.
- Jails should be well staffed with officers and medical personnel.
- Inmate should receive a health screening prior to being admitted.
All inmates have a constitutional right to receive reasonably adequate healthcare. But far too often jails cut back on the care that they give inmates in order to save money. This is especially pronounced in for profit prisons. 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, an inmate may not have been given proper care if they were going into medical distress. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any inmate death.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- An autopsy should be performed.
- Surveillance footage should be sought.
The family of any inmate that dies in custody may have legal recourse through a wrongful death claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills and funeral expenses. Unfortunately, jails will often fight extremely hard to deny liability for any inmate that dies in their care. A wrongful death attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know if a jail is legally responsible for your relative’s death.
Investigating A Rockford Inmate Death
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Christian Littrell. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to make the Winnebago County Jail a safer place.
Do you need more information about an inmate death at the Winnebago County Jail? Our team of inmate’s rights advocates are here for you. We care deeply that inmates and their families are aware of their rights. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into an incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
