2 Inmates Die Within a Week in South Central Regional Jail in West Virginia
Two inmates at the South Central Regional Jail in Charleston, West Virginia, died within six days of each other in June 2025. During routine checks conducted on June 12, 33-year-old Darrell Crowder was discovered deceased in his cell. On June 17, 43-year-old Alana Saul died at the jail after being found unresponsive earlier in the day. Both of the inmates’ deaths occurred within days after being booked into the jail. No other information has been released about these tragic custodial deaths.
The address of South Central Regional Jail is 1001 Centre Way, Charleston, WV 25309. The jail is also known as the South Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility. The jail has an inmate capacity of 495.
Deaths and Conditions at Another West Virginia Jail Raise Concerns
The above-mentioned recent jail deaths aren’t the only ones that have put West Virginia jail facilities in the spotlight. In August 2023, a news story revealed concerns about the deaths of 13 inmates that occurred at Southern Regional Jail (SRJ) in 2022, but it mostly reported in detail regarding numerous complaints over conditions there, including systemic issues. SRJ’s address is 1200 Airport Rd, Beaver, WV 25813.
The March 1, 2022, death of 37-year-old Quantez Burks at SRJ occurred less than 24 hours after being booked. His death was ruled a homicide. A former Lieutenant at the jail was later sentenced for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that allegedly resulted in Mr. Burks’ death. Within two weeks, another inmate died in the jail’s custody.
A high-profile death was among those that occurred in spring of 2022. Forty-five-year-old Ricky Jason Wriston, the nephew of Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston, died at the SRJ on March 14, 2023. His death occurred within hours after being arrested for charges related to public intoxication.
Alvis Shrewsbury had been incarcerated at SRJ for 19 days when he was suddenly transferred to Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital (BARH). He was pronounced deceased at the hospital on the same day as the transfer, which was September 17, 2022.
The D.C. Jail’s Death Rate is Three Times the National Average
It is very common for inmate deaths to occur in U.S. jails within days of admission. This is true in the D.C. Central Facility, which is commonly known as the D.C. Jail. Between the summers of 2023 and 2024, jail deaths at the D.C. Jail occurred at a rate that exceeded three times the national average.
Overdoses were the most common cause of death during that time at the D.C. Jail. The jail doubled its medication-assisted treatment program for drug addiction to provide 500 inmates with daily treatment. Other actions the jail took included intensifying efforts to combat contraband, which included body scanners and drug-sniffing dogs.
Much like the West Virginia story above, increased scrutiny at the jail tended to pull the focus away from deaths. Instead, complaints were piling up with increasing frequency about issues such as a lack of vermin control, mold, broken toilets, poor ventilation, exposed electrical wires, and significant understaffing.
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