EspañolPrison Officials In Ventura County Are Not Doing Enough To Prevent Inmate Deaths and Suicides, Grand Jury Claims
VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (June 24, 2023) – A grand jury report claims that Ventura County jails are not doing enough to prevent inmate deaths including suicides.
The 27-page report states that jail officials are failing to use best practices to prevent inmate suicides. The Todd Road Jail in Santa Paula was one of the institutions mentioned.
Between the years 2016 and 2022, there were a reported four inmate suicides in the county. The grand jury said that jail officials have been reactive in dealing with medical emergencies, rather than proactive.
Of those four suicides, additional proactive measures could have prevented at least half of them. Ventura County Sheriff’s Office leadership said that they have a desire to make changes to reduce in-custody deaths.
Drug sniffing dogs are known to be effective at preventing dangerous drugs from entering the prisons system. But the Sheriff’s Office has not fully utilized them within county jails.
The grand jury panel concluded by stating that the Sheriff’s Office has not been sufficiently transparent with regard to in-custody death investigations. As part of the grand jury report a list of recommendations has been drafted.
Liability For Ventura County Inmate Suicides
Suicides are one of the leading causes of inmate death in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “The number of suicides in local jails increased 5% from 2018 to 2019, while suicides in state and federal prisons were stable. Suicides accounted for 30% of deaths in local jails and 8% of deaths in state and federal prisons in 2019, based on the most recent mortality data from BJS.” These deaths are often highly preventable. There are a number of measures that jails should take in order to prevent inmate suicides.
- Jail staff should be well-taken care of. Correctional officers are more likely to overlook signs of inmate suicide when they are suffering from burnout.
- Jail staff should be well trained to identify signs that an inmate is at an increased risk of suicide.
- Jail facilities can incorporate biophilic design concepts. This can include installing art, adding color throughout the jail, installing skylights, reducing noise with acoustic tiles, and providing areas for inmate creative outlet.
- Around 80 – 90% of inmates enter jails with some sort of trauma. It is important that correctional officers are caring and compassionate to the greatest extent possible.
Jails have a constitutional obligation to provide inmates with reasonably adequate care. See, for example, (Farmer v. Brennan (1994) 511 U.S. 825.). This includes providing inmates with the necessary care to reduce the likelihood of suicide. To prevail in any 8th Amendment claim, a plaintiff must establish two things. (1) The harm to an inmate must have been sufficiently serious and created a substantial risk to their health or safety. (2) The defendant must have been deliberately indifferent to that risk of serious harm. Consequently, for an inmate suicide case, it must be established the defendant knew an inmate was at risk of committing suicide and intentionally disregarded that risk.
Consider, for example, The Estate of Sergio Derkevorkian vs. Kern County. Sergio Derkevorkian was arrested and told officers he was a danger to himself. A family friend told law enforcement that Sergio Derkevorkian was suicidal. He continued exhibiting erratic behavior after being taken into custody. Despite this, he was never referred for mental health treatment. This was true despite the fact that the jail had mental health staff on the premises. He later died by suicide at the Lerdo Jail. Kern County officials eventually reached a settlement with his family. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any in-custody death.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
- All medical records for the inmate should be reviewed.
- The actions of correctional officers prior to an in-custody death should be understood.
- An experienced civil rights attorney should be contacted.
Jails are supposed to be places of rehabilitation. But far too often, they are made needlessly dangerous by under-staffing and poorly trained correctional officers. The family of any inmate that dies in custody may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim. Unfortunately, jails are almost never transparent about in-custody deaths. This is why it is so important to seek the legal guidance of an experienced civil rights attorney as early as possible.
Investigating California Jail Deaths
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP extend our deepest condolences to all of the families who have lost loved ones at Ventura County jails. The findings of the grand jury report remain deeply troubling. It is our sincere hope that the county will adopt additional measures to better care for the inmates in their custody.
Have you or someone that you care about been harmed while staying at a Ventura County jail? You may have legal recourse. Our team of highly experienced Los Angeles County civil rights attorneys are here for you. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their constitutional rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support we can help. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
