Is Jail Neglect a Widespread Problem in Texas?-Pt.20
A Woman Dies from a Fentanyl Overdose While In a County Jail Outside Texas
In a Pennsylvania county jail, illicit drugs were smuggled in, and two women suffered overdoses of fentanyl. They were treated and survived. Two days later, a 31-year-old woman in the same jail also had a fentanyl overdose, but she died. The woman’s family members are devastated and want to know why the jail staff didn’t take action to ensure that no more potentially fatal drugs were present in the jail. They acknowledge that their loved one had a drug problem and that being incarcerated in the county jail should not become a death sentence.
Meanwhile, another inmate was charged for smuggling the illicit drugs into the jail and supplying them to the other three women.
Cameron County is Listed as Non-Compliant After a Custodial Death
Detainee Johnny Gutierrez was 39 years old when he was booked into Cameron County Jail on January 7, 2023. Tragically, he died of asphyxia by hanging. Using a mattress cover, Mr. Gutierrez hung himself. He was discovered in an unresponsive state on January 26, 2023, and was pronounced deceased the next day.
It is standard procedure for a jail to be inspected following a custodial suicide. A special jail inspection conducted on October 1, 2023, included a review of documentation connected to a custodial death—presumably Mr. Gutierrez’s suicide.
Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, and Part 19 of this series.
Providing municipal and county jail detainees in Texas with helpful resources is one of this website’s purposes. Suggesting that a person or entity has engaged in wrongdoing is never intended.
–Guest Contributor
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smchugh