RIVERSIDE, CA — A troubling series of reports and investigations revealed that Riverside County’s jails were among the deadliest in the U.S. today.
The jail system has reported its highest number of detainee deaths in decades, including several suicides, the New York Times reported. Deaths were reported as homicide, overdose, natural causes and suicide.
Alicia Upton, who died of suicide in 2022, was one of 19 people who died in custody that year. It was the system’s most lethal year in more than three decades. Upton was one of at least four suicides, the newspaper reported.
Neglect by jail employees, access to drugs and cell assignments put detainees at increased risk throughout 2022, the New York Times reported.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has reportedly assumed no responsibility for the deaths. County sheriff Chad Bianco did not respond to interview requests with the New York Times.
Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta launched a civil rights investigation into the sheriff’s office last year, citing concerns over its jail facilities.
“Whether you have a loved one in jail or are worried about crime in your neighborhood, we all benefit when there is action to ensure the integrity of policing in our state,” Bonta wrote.
The newspaper reported five key takeaways about the jail system:
1. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department failed to adequately monitor detainees and intervene when they attempted suicide
2. Mentally ill detainees were able to block cell cameras and cell door windows even though the rules forbade it.
3. Deputies did not relocate detainees who expressed suicidal thoughts to cells where they could be monitored at all times.
4. The sheriff’s department left out important information about the deaths to the public and to the detainee’s families.
5. Riverside County paid out millions of dollars in settlements related to detainee deaths.
Read more from the New York Times: Inside a Deadly Southern California Jail System: 5 Takeaways
This is so disturbing.
I’m a little concerned about a recent case of which my little cousin a healthy 41 year old young lady was said to have died on September 9th or 10th her mom was notified the last week of October, the city of Riverside will not allow her to identify her body unless she makes arrangements with a funeral home. No autopsy and if she wants one she will be required to pay for it but why pay without proper notifications. We need help figuring out if this is her child and for her to see her baby. One other thing she had a recent run in with the police department prior to this and she also suffered from mental health at times. The last citing of her she was given some water and seemed to be in distress and they called 911 she was alive up until then. The last place she was seen alive and walking was outside of pixels video bar. Keith Mandella the state investigator is who is the one that my cousin is in contact with and her name is Michelle Rodriguez and her deceased daughter is Mikole michelle Hayes # 2024 60860. I’m on the east coast trying to be of help to a grieving cousin. Thanks for reading this