Inmate Alexander Jasso, 33, Died Following Attack At High Desert State Prison In Susanville

SUSANVILLE, CALIFORNIA (August 31, 2023) – An inmate identified as Alexander Jasso was killed in a suspected attack at the High Desert State Prison in Susanville.

Lassen County officials are saying that the incident took place around 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. Correctional officers found Alexander Jasso with multiple stab wounds.

Medical staff entered the cell and began life-saving measures. Alexander Jasso was taken to an outside hospital where he died a few hours later.

An inmate manufactured weapon was recovered at the scene. Two suspects, ages 32 and 29, were both moved to restricted housing while prison officials conducted a homicide investigation.

 

Liability For Inmate Attacks At The High Desert State Prison

Inmate assaults are far too common within the United States’ prison system. According to Statista, “In 2019, 143 inmates of state and federal prisons in the United States were killed by homicide. This is a significant increase from 2008 levels, when 40 inmates were killed in state or federal prisons in the United States.” There are many measures that jails should take in order to prevent inmate homicides.

• Violent inmates should typically be segregated away from non-violent offenders.
• Correctional officers should be well-trained.
• Jails should be adequately staffed.
• Jails should do everything within reason to prevent inmates from gaining access to weapons.

All inmates have a legal right to live in a reasonably safe environment. A jail could potentially be liable for an inmate being attacked by another inmate if they had specific knowledge of particular threats and failed to act. For example, an inmate may have told guards about threats they received from other inmates, but officers still failed to do anything. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any inmate attack.

• Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
• Surveillance footage should be sought.
• Medical records should be preserved.
• A civil rights attorney should be contacted.

Many attacks within the jail system are not random events. They are often highly planned. As such, a large portion of the violence takes place with jails can be prevented when the rights safety protocols are being followed. It is important inmates and their families understand that they do have rights. The family of any inmate that died in custody may be able to seek some measure of justice through a constitutional claim.

 

Investigating Inmate Attacks At The High Desert State Prison

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Alexander Jasso. 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 High Desert State Prison safer for the sake of all who stay there.

Do you need more information about an inmate death at The High Desert State Prison? Our team of civil rights advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that jails are protecting the constitutional rights of they inmates they are charged with caring for. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident we may be able to help you. You can reach out to us anytime at  (949) 825-5200.