Inmate Died In Custody At Will County Adult Detention Facility In Joliet
Wrongful Death - September 1, 2022
Male Inmate Died In Custody Following Medical Emergency At Will County Adult Detention Facility in Joliet
JOLIET, ILLINOIS (August 31, 2022) – A 78-year-old inmate died after experiencing a medical emergency at the Will County Adult Detention Facility in Joliet.
Will County officials are saying that the incident took place around 11:45 a.m. on Friday. A male inmate was experiencing some type of medical emergency.
Jail staff and first responders rendered aid. But they were not able to revive the inmate. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy is scheduled to be performed in the coming weeks. A full investigation remains ongoing.
Liability In Joliet Inmate Deaths
Far too many inmates die in custody every year. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “In 2019, the mortality rate in state prisons was 330 per 100,000 state prisoners, while federal prisoners in facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) died at a rate of 259 per 100,000. prisons or private prison facilities under a state contract, a decrease of 284 deaths from 2018.” A large number of inmate deaths are totally preventable. There are many steps that jails can take to keep inmates safe.
- Correctional officers should be well trained.
- Inmates should be periodically monitored.
- Jails should be adequately staffed.
Inmates have a constitutional right to receive 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, an inmate may have not been given adequate care during or prior to a medical emergency. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any inmate death .
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Surveillance footage should be sought.
- An autopsy should be performed.
It can be difficult to know where to begin after a loved one has died in custody. It is important that all evidence is preserved. Jails will often fight hard to deny liability for any inmate death. But in far too many instances, inmate deaths are preventable and involve some amount of negligence. Evidence is what will ultimately be needed to demonstrate liability for any in custody death.
Investigating A Joliet Inmate Death
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of the inmate that died. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. There needs to be a thorough investigation for the sake of all who have lost so much.
Do you need more information about a Joliet 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 more information about an incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.