Inmate William Henne, 40, Died Following Medical Emergency At San Joaquin County Jail In French Camp

FRENCH CAMP, CALIFORNIA (November 6, 2023) – A 40-year-old inmate identified as William Henne has tragically died after a medical emergency at the San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp.

San Joaquin County officials are saying that the incident began around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday August 13. Correctional officers noticed that William Henne was unresponsive in his cell in medical housing.

Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the inmate. Despite life-saving measures, William Henne was pronounce dead.

Authorities said that he was in custody a little under two weeks prior to his death. A full investigation into the incident remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For San Joaquin County Jail Deaths

Thousands of people die each year in prisons and jails across the United States. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “A total of 4,234 persons died in state and federal prisons in 2019, a 6.6% decrease from the 4,515 deaths in 2018 reported to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI, formerly the Deaths in Custody Reporting Program) data collection.” Jails should take a number of measures in order to prevent in-custody deaths.

• Jails should have adequate medical facilities to treat the ailments and illnesses that inmates have.
• Jail officials should regularly check up on the inmates that they are caring for.
• Jails should perform health screenings on all inmates that enter the prison system.

When jails assume control over the lives of inmates, certain constitutional standards will apply. For example, jails must provide inmates with adequate healthcare for their serious medical needs. The level of care that each inmate should get will vary depending on their medical needs and pre-existing 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 contributed to an inmate’s death.

• Jails may have failed to get an inmate care when they were going through a drug overdose.
• Jails may have failed to get an inmate care when they were going through withdrawal.
• Jails may have failed to get an inmate the mental healthcare that they required.

Jail deaths are not spread equally across all of the counties in California. San Diego county, Riverside county and LA county have a disproportionately high number of jail deaths. This has been due in part to the massive overcrowding that jails in those counties are dealing with. The family of any person that died in-custody may have legal recourse through a constitutional claim. A civil rights attorney can examine the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.

 

Investigating San Joaquin County Jail Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of William Henne. 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.

Do you need more information about a San Joaquin County Jail death? Our team of civil rights advocates are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their rights and that jails are held accountable for their negligence. 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.