Investigation Underway After Woman Died In Custody of Kern County Sheriff’s Office At The Lerdo Jail 

pexels-pixabay-532001BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (August 15, 2024) – A woman has tragically died in the custody of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at the Lerdo Jail in Bakersfield.

Kern County officials are saying that the incident took place on June 15. A woman was awaiting trial when the incident took place.

The cause and manner of her death remain unknown at this time. This is the fifth in-custody death in Kern County so far this year.

A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.


Liability For Kern County Inmate Deaths 

People are often held for long periods of time for crimes that they are being charged with. Many inmates die during this waiting period. According to National Public Radio, “Unlike state and federal prisons, which hold people convicted of serious crimes, jails are locally run lockups meant to detain people awaiting arraignment or trial, or those serving short sentences. The toll of jail inmates who die without a case resolution subverts a fundamental tenet of the U.S. criminal justice system: innocent until proven guilty.” Jails should take a number of measures in order to help prevent deaths.

  • Jails should be adequately staffed.
  • Jails should be stocked with Narcan to prevent overdoses.
  • Jails should comply with all health and safety standards.

Jails must protect inmates from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes attacks at the hands of other inmates. It also includes providing inmates with adequate medical care for all of their conditions. When jail officials are deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. A jail may have failed to properly care for an inmate in a number of different ways.

  • Jails may have failed to take an inmate to the hospital in a timely manner.
  • Jails may have failed to give an inmate the medication that they needed.
  • Jails may have used excessive force in order to control an inmate.

Inmate deaths are rarely the consequence of the wrongful actions of a single person. It is more likely that they are the result of systematic failures within a jail. For example, inmate deaths are more likely when jails are overcrowded. The family of any person who died in custody may have legal recourse through a civil 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 County Inmate Deaths 

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of the woman who died at the Lerdo Jail in Bakersfield. It remains concerning that so few details have been released thus far. Kern County officials should do the right thing and offer transparency about in-custody deaths.

Do you need more information about an inmate death at the Lerdo Jail? Our team of civil rights attorneys is here for you. We care deeply that inmates and their families get the support they are owed under the Constitution. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (949) 825-5200.

 

 

 

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