Inmate Ryan Thuresson Died After Being Found Unresponsive In Jail Cell At Vista Detention Facility

VISTA, CALIFORNIA (July 17, 2023) – A 33-year-old inmate identified as Ryan Thuresson has tragically died after being found unresponsive in his cell at the Vista Detention Facility.

San Diego County police officials are saying that the incident took place on Wednesday. Ryan Thuresson was found unresponsive in his cell.

Correctional officers and medical staff then entered the cell and gave the inmate Naloxone, which is commonly used to treat overdoses. Ryan Thuresson was taken to the hospital in order to receive additional care.

Sadly, he died 5 days after being admitted to the hospital. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Inmate Deaths At The Vista Detention Center

Far too many people die or become seriously ill in custody. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “In 2019, a total of 3,853 prisoners died in state prisons or private prison facilities under a state contract, a decrease of 284 deaths from 2018. The number of federal prisoners who died in the custody of a facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) increased from 378 in 2018 to 381 in 2019.” Overdoses, in particular, are one of the leading causes of inmate death. There are a number of steps that jails should take to prevent overdose deaths.

• Jails should do their best to regulate the flow of illicit substances that are coming in.
• Correctional officers should be trained to identify signs an inmate may be going into an overdose.
• Inmates should get a health screening before being admitted.

All inmates have a constitutional right to receive reasonably adequate care. When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. Overdoses in-custody are not a random occurrence. They tend to happen when there is a systemic breakdown of operating procedures within the jail system. This could occur for many reasons including overcrowding. Jails are not particularly nice places to be for either inmates or correctional officers. These places tend to have a high turnover rate and are chronically understaffed. There are many ways a jail may have failed to properly care for an inmate prior to their death.

• Correctional officers may not have performed regular welfare checks.
• Correctional officers may not have followed the instructions of doctors or medical staff.
• Correctional officers may have failed to give an inmate CPR or

Losing someone in prison can be incredibly difficult. Not only are they gone, but in many circumstances family members don’t get a proper chance to say goodbye. The family of any person that is killed in prison may have legal recourse through a constitutional claim. Sadly, though, jails will often do everything that they can to deny liability if someone dies in their care. This is why it is so important that all evidence is preserved after any inmate dies in custody.

 

Investigating Inmate Deaths At The Vista Detention Center

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Ryan Thuresson. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There have been so many deaths recently at the Vista Detention Center. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other deaths at this jail in the future.

Do you need more information about an in-custody death at the Vista Detention Center? Our team of civil rights advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We are committed to helping inmates and their families understand their constitutional rights. 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.