A California County is going through authorized motion after a 21-year-old girl dedicated suicide whereas in jail custody. A lawsuit filed by the girl’s household final week claims that jail workers repeatedly ignored indicators that she was a critical threat to her personal security.
Alicia Upton was arrested on April 19, 2022 on suspicion of threatening to stab one other girl, in accordance with The Orange County Register. Upton obtained a psychological screening after her arrest. In line with the lawsuit, she expressed suicidal ideas throughout this screening, telling a Riverside County Sheriff’s Division (RCSD) deputy “I always kinda wanted to die.”
Two days later, after persevering with to exhibit suicidal habits, Upton’s psychological well being was rated “severe” and was positioned in a “safety cell,” a cell made particularly for suicidal inmates, in accordance with the lawsuit. But regardless of her clear psychological well being misery—together with quite a few seen self-inflicted cuts on her left arm—Upton was faraway from the protection cell on April 24 and put into one other jail cell with out security options.
The cell “was known to pose risk of death [and] injury to suicidal inmates by virtue of the hazards contained in the cell,” in accordance with the lawsuit. “These hazards included bed sheets which were known to be used as ligatures by suicidal inmates and attachment points for hanging such as the corners of the bunk beds.” On April 28—lower than ten days after getting into custody—Upton hanged herself in her cell utilizing the sheets from her mattress.
“Medical and custody staff had an opportunity to observe the clear signs of Ms. Upton’s acute suicidality,” the swimsuit reads. “Despite these alarming signs, the … medical and custody staff were indifferent to Ms. Upton’s health and safety.”
And Upton wasn’t alone. The lawsuit famous that 18 folks died whereas being held in Riverside County jails in 2022—a 15-year excessive. Nevertheless, regardless of the prevalence of in-custody deaths and a class-action lawsuit difficult the well being and security requirements for inmates within the jail, RCSD officers “deliberately failed to take even modest actions to prevent in-custody deaths at the Riverside County correctional facilities,” the swimsuit claims.
Issues have solely gotten worse since Upton’s dying. By November 2023, 22 folks had died in RCSD custody, with 12 of these deaths associated to incarceration circumstances inside RCSD county jails. Making the scenario worse, the swimsuit alleges that RCSD hasn’t been complying with state legal guidelines mandating transparency round in-custody deaths of inmates, together with appreciable delays in reporting deaths and incorrectly labeling inmates who died as pre-trial detainees as “‘sentenced’ post-conviction prisoners” in experiences to the Justice Division.
Actually, in February 2023, RCSD’s misconduct sparked an investigation from the California Division of Justice, which remains to be ongoing. “Unfortunately, it is clear that — amid concerning levels of in-custody deaths and allegations of misconduct — too many families and communities in Riverside County are hurting and looking for answers,” stated California Lawyer Common Rob Bonta throughout a February press convention. “We all benefit when there is action to ensure the integrity of policing in our state.”