Inmate Amy Morris (Full Name: Amy Wayne Morris), of Truckee, Died In Custody While Staying At The Wayne Brown Correctional Facility In Nevada City

NEVADA CITY, CALIFORNIA (October 5, 2023) – A female inmate identified as Amy Morris has tragically died while being housed at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City.

Nevada County officials are saying that the incident began on Tuesday morning. Correctional officers noticed that Amy Morris was unresponsive in her jail cell.

Medical staff entered the cell and began life-saving measures which were taken over by paramedics. Amy Morris was taken to Sierra Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

A full investigation into the in-custody death remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Nevada County Inmate Deaths 

Thousands of people die in custody every year in the United States. According to Statista, an estimated 2,869 people died in state prisons in 2001. By 2018, an estimated 4,137 people died in-custody. A large portion of the deaths that occur in-custody are not properly documented. There are many steps that jails should take in order to reduce the likelihood of an in-custody death.

• Inmates should be given a health screening when they are first admitted.
• Jails should have plenty of Narcan in the event of an inmate overdose.
• Correctional officers should typically segregate violent inmates away from non-violent offenders.

Inmates die from a wide variety of different reasons including heart attacks, suicides, homicides and accidents. Many inmates die from “natural causes.” But the fact of the matter is that many deaths listed as “natural” actually involve some amount of medical neglect. Among other things, correctional officers are supposed to perform periodic welfare checks on inmates to ensure that they are alright. Inmates with medical issues will need more frequent checks. Many will need round the clock monitoring over certain periods. When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. Multiple factors could contribute to an in-custody death.

• Correctional officers may not have gotten an inmate prompt medical care.
• Correctional officers may not have followed the instructions of doctors or nurses.
• Correctional officers may have failed to adequately monitor an inmate in their care.

It is rare for there to be one single issue that leads to an inmate death. Far too often, inmate deaths involve failures at multiple levels. This could include and is not limited to allowing dangerous drugs to enter the prison system. It is important for the family members of inmates to understand that they do have rights. The family of any person that died in a prison may be able to seek some measure of justice and accountability through a constitutional claim.

 

Investigating Inmate Deaths At The Wayne Brown Correctional Facility

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Amy Morris. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to authorities. It is our hope that state officials will investigate what happened and take concrete measures to prevent similar tragedies.

Do you need more information about an in-custody death at the Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City? Our team of civil rights attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their rights and that jails are held to account for their negligence. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.