Inmate Edgar Maldonado (Full Name: Edgar Damien Maldonado), of Salinas, Died In Custody While Awaiting Trial At Monterey County Jail

MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (October 28, 2023) – A 34-year-old inmate identified as Edgar Maldonado has tragically died in-custody at a Monterey County Jail.

Monterey County officials are saying that the incident took place around 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Correctional officers are saying that they found Edgar Maldonado unresponsive in his jail cell.

Jail and medical staff entered his V block cell and began life-saving measures. Despite those efforts, Edgar Maldonado was later pronounced dead.

He was awaiting trial at the time of his death. This is the sixth in-custody death this year at a Monterey County jail.

 

Liability For Monterey County Inmate Deaths

Thousands of inmates die in custody each year. What’s more troubling is that many of these deaths involve people who were never convicted of the crime they were charged with. According to the Urban Institute, “between 2008 and 2019, 4,998 people died while in pretrial detention—and this number only includes reports from the United States’ largest jails. Despite the 2013 Death in Custody Reporting Act’s requirements, thousands of deaths have gone uncounted.” Jails should take a number of measures to prevent inmate deaths.

• Jails should conduct a thorough health screening when an inmate is first admitted.
• Jail officials should have plenty of access to Narcan which can be used to reverse the effects of an overdose.
• Jails should be adequately staffed by trained correctional officers.

Depending on the facts of any case, a jail could be liable for an in-custody death. Jails have a legal obligation to provide inmates with adequate healthcare for all of their needs. If a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. There are many ways that a jail may have failed to properly care for an inmate which contributed to their death.

• Jails may have failed to treat the mental health needs of an inmate.
• Jails may fail to send an inmate to the hospital when they were in distress.
• Jails may have failed to help an inmate going through drug withdrawal.

The number of jail deaths at any facility will typically say a lot about the quality of care that inmates receive. In many situations, jails outsource care to private companies that are not primarily concerned with taking care of inmates. To that end, medical staff will often wait until inmates are in distress before they will bother helping. The family of any person that died in-custody may have legal recourse through a civil claim. A civil rights attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.

Investigating Monterey County Inmate Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Edgar Maldonado. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other tragedies like this.

Do you need more information about a Monterey County inmate death? Our team of civil rights advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We focus entirely on helping people who have been harmed by police abuses of power and jail medical neglect. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of assistance we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.