Inmate Isaac Duran Died In Suspected Homicide At Kern Valley State Prison In Delano

DELANO, CALIFORNIA (November 14, 2023) – An inmate identified as Isaac Duran has tragically died in a suspected homicide while staying at the Kern Valley State Prison in Delano.

Kern County officials are saying that the incident took place on October 14. Isaac Duran was allegedly attacked by two other inmates with an inmate manufactured weapon.

Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the victim. Isaac Duran was transported to an outside hospital with multiple stab wounds.

Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead around 9:14 p.m. on November 9. A full investigation into the death remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Kern Valley State Prison Inmate Deaths

Homicide remains one of the major causes of inmate death in the United States. 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 a number of measures jails should take in order to prevent inmate homicides.

• Jail staff should be well trained to identify and de-escalate conflicts between inmates.
• Jails should typically segregate rival gang members from one another.
• Jails should be properly staffed.
• Inmates should be screened for their propensity for violence. Violent inmates should typically be kept away from non-violent offenders.

Jails have a legal obligation to protect inmates from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes attacks at the hands of other inmates. If a jail has specific knowledge of particular threats and fails to act, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. Victims of inmate attacks tend to suffer very serious injuries including:

• Broken bones
• Head injuries
• Lacerations
• Spinal cord injuries
• Death

Violence in prison is commonplace. But it is rarely completely random. Rather, attacks among inmates are often predictable and typically influenced in part by jail conditions. It is important for inmates and their families to understand that they do have rights. The family of any person that died in-custody may have legal recourse through a constitutional 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 Kern Valley State Prison Inmate Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Isaac Duran. Any person that may have more information about what took place should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that measures are put in place to prevent other tragedies like this.

Do you need more information about a Kern Valley State Prison inmate death? 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 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 (949) 825-5200