LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles County jails experienced a significant increase in deaths in custody in 2023, with 45 reported deaths, including drug-related, homicides, suicides, and hypothermia cases. This number surpassed the pre-pandemic figures, raising concerns about the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals.
In their 2023 book, “Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It,” co-authors Jay D. Aronson and Dr. Roger A. Mitchell shed light on the national issue of inadequate data collection on deaths in jails and prisons. They emphasize the lack of a centralized system to track these deaths, leading to inconsistencies and gaps in reporting across the country.
The authors highlight the failure of the federal government to consistently collect accurate data on deaths in custody, attributing it to a lack of societal concern for incarcerated individuals. They also stress that understanding the full extent of these deaths is just the beginning, as comprehensive prevention strategies can only be developed once the underlying circumstances and locations of these deaths are known.
Aronson and Mitchell draw attention to the outdated sheriff-coroner system in California, which they argue hinders the accurate documentation and investigation of deaths in custody. They cite examples from San Joaquin County, where the sheriff-coroner had overridden forensic pathologists’ findings, prompting calls for a transition to a medical examiner system.
The authors urge for stronger federal intervention and systematic data collection to address this national problem, emphasizing that deaths in custody serve as indicators of systemic issues and the need for meaningful reforms. They underscore the importance of recognizing the humanity of incarcerated individuals and advocating for their safety and well-being.