Victor Gutierrez Died In Custody At Thomson Federal Penitentiary
Wrongful Death - April 14, 2023
Inmate Victor Gutierrez Died During His Stay At The Thomson Federal Penitentiary
THOMSON, ILLINOIS (April 14, 2023) – An inmate identified as Victor Gutierrez has tragically died while staying at the Thomson federal penitentiary.
Carroll County officials are saying that the incident took place in early February. Jail officials told the mother of Victor Gutierrez that they found him unresponsive.
They claim they tried to revive him before he was transported to a hospital in Clinton, Iowa. However, the hospital listed his time of death as 10:21 p.m., but jail officials claim that they did not find Victor Gutierrez unconscious until 10:35 p.m. that night.
The victim’s mother has told reporters that jail officials are not being straight with her. She has been fighting to get answers about what happened.
Liability For Inmate In-Custody Deaths
The United States has one of the highest rates of in-custody deaths. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, “In 2018, state prisons reported 4,135 deaths (not including the 25 people executed in state prisons); this is the highest number on record since BJS began collecting mortality data in 2001.” A large number of these deaths are preventable and due to inmates that receive inadequate care. There are many steps that prisons can take in order to prevent inmate deaths.
- Correctional officers should be well trained.
- Inmates should get a health screening before being admitted.
- Jails should be adequately staffed and kept in a safe condition.
Jails have a legal obligation to provide inmates with reasonably adequate healthcare. If a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. For example, a jail may not have given an inmate proper care while they were undergoing a medical emergency. There are many steps that should be taken after any inmate death.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- An independent autopsy may need to be performed.
- Jail records related to the death should be sought and scrutinized.
It can be hard to know where to begin after any inmate death. To make matters worse, jail officials will often do everything in their power to avoid releasing information about the incident. The family of any person that died in custody may have legal recourse through a civil claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover many of the expenses that come with the sudden loss of a loved one.
Investigating An Inmate In-Custody Death
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Victor Gutierrez. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. Officials at Thomson federal penitentiary need to do the right thing and release details about what happened to the inmate’s family. They deserve to know what happened.
Do you need more information about an inmate death at the Thomson federal penitentiary. Our team of civil rights advocates are here for you. 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 a free, independent investigation into any in custody death we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
