Bridget Marlar, age 29, was at Alcorn County Jail in Corinth, Mississippi, on shoplifting charges. She had been there for about three days when she was discovered unresponsive in her cell on August 27, 2017. She was quickly transported to Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth, and she died there on September 6. According to an autopsy by Jay Jones, Alcorn County Coroner, Marlar died of cardiopulmonary arrest. He said that he found no evidence of foul play. In addition, it’s expected to take several weeks to get results of toxicology tests.
As is standard practice when jail deaths occur, the case is being examined by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Individuals who have been arrested, whether guilty or not guilty of crimes they are charged with, have a right to survive their stay in a jail. There has been evidence in various jails in Texas and across the U.S. that standard jail practices fail to provide at-risk inmates with the medical attention they need. When inmates are at risk for suicide, special provisions are supposed to be made, to prevent them from harming themselves. People on suicide watch are typically monitored much more closely than others.
When jail practices designed to ensure inmate safety are not carried out routinely and the result is a custodial death, county jails can be held liable in civil lawsuits.
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