Inmate Shai Rogers Died In Custody At Kern County Jail Facility

KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (August 21, 2023) – A 34-year-old male inmate identified as Shai Rogers has tragically died in-custody at a Kern County Jail facility.

Kern County officials are saying that the incident began on Friday. Correctional officers intervened in order to help Shai Rogers.

It remains unclear if the inmate was unresponsive or otherwise in some type of medical distress. Life-saving measures were administered by jail medical staff and paramedics.

But Shai Rogers was later pronounced dead. The inmate was awaiting trial at the time he died in custody. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Kern County Inmate Deaths

Jails are supposed to be places of rehabilitation. But far too often, they are where people go to be neglected and mistreated by state officials and private corporations. 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.” There are a number of common reasons that an inmate may die in custody.

• Inmates may not get the medical care they need for chronic health conditions.
• Inmates may not get the immediate care they need for immediate medical emergencies.
• Inmates may die in-custody due to an overdose from drugs or alcohol.
• Inmates may die following attacks by correctional officers or other inmates.

All inmates have a legal right to receive reasonably adequate medical care. This includes the right to get proper care in the midst of a medical emergency. People often enter jail with a lot of baggage. This may include pre-existing medical conditions as well as psychological conditions. 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 deliberately or inadvertently contributed to an inmate’s death.

• Correctional officers may have failed to give an inmate the medication they required.
• Correctional officers may have failed to perform periodic welfare checks on an inmate in their care.
• Correctional officers may have failed to follow the instructions of medical doctors or nurses.

Jails are supposed to be proactive about keeping inmates healthy. But this costs money that many jails are not willing to spend. Part of the problem is that many healthcare providers within jails are run by private corporations. These companies do not make more money by providing constitutionally adequate care. They make more money by providing as little care as possible. The family of any person that died in a Kern County jail may have legal recourse through a civil claim. A civil rights attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know what your legal options are.

 

Investigating Kern County Inmate Deaths

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

Have you or someone that you care about been harmed while staying at a Kern County jail? You may have legal recourse. Our team of civil rights advocates are here to help in any way that we can. We specialize in helping people who have been harmed due to prison neglect and police abuse. 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.