pexels-rdne-stock-project-6519848Investigation Underway After Male Inmate Died In Custody At The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office In Banning

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (August 17, 2024) – A 53-year-old man has tragically died while in custody at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

Riverside County officials are saying that the incident took place on Saturday. Correctional officers noticed that an inmate was in some type of medical distress.

Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the inmate. Despite life-saving measures, he was later pronounced dead.

A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

Liability For Riverside County Inmate Deaths

Riverside County has a particularly bad track record for the care that inmates are given. According to The Guardian, “In 2022, at least 19 people died while held in Riverside County detention facilities, according to California department of justice data. That’s a higher rate of jail deaths than in LA county that year, which had three times as many inmates.” Several lawsuits have detailed the conditions that inmates must contend with.

  • Inmates have said that they haven’t received proper mental healthcare.
  • Inmates have said that they haven’t received proper care for long-term health conditions.
  • Inmates have filed lawsuits alleging sexual abuse.

A jail or private healthcare provider could be liable if an inmate in their care dies. Jails have a legal obligation to provide all  inmates with reasonably adequate medical care. This should begin when an inmate is first admitted. Jails should perform medical evaluations. There are several ways that a jail may have failed to properly care for an inmate.

  • A jail may not have provided an inmate with the medication that they needed.
  • A jail may have failed to perform periodic wellness checks.
  • A jail may have delayed taking an inmate to the hospital.

Jails are often quick to claim that an inmate in their care died due to ‘natural’ causes. But this designation can be highly misleading. Many so-called natural deaths involve some amount of medical neglect. The family of any inmate who died in custody may be able to seek some measure of justice through a constitutional claim.

Investigating Riverside County Inmate Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm were deeply concerned to hear about this inmate death at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what took place.

Do you need more information about an inmate death at the Larry Smith Correctional Facility? Our team of civil rights attorneys is here to answer any questions that you may have. 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 any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach us anytime at (949) 825-5200.

 

 

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