Several prisoners have died in the local jail recently. While newsworthy, it isn’t necessarily Page One fare.
People die every day, everywhere – including hospices and hospitals.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than 20,000 people died in local jails over a 20-year period, 2000-2019.
That amounted to a rate of 142 people per 100,000. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the death rate throughout the United States in 2020 was 835 per 100,000.
About half those who died in jail succumbed to various illnesses such as cancer, heart disease or AIDS.
About 30 percent died of suicide. There were a few accidents and homicides.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office fired its health care provider after recent deaths in the jail and there may be lawsuits to determine whether the provider or anyone else was at fault.
Pending any finding of fault, hyping a jail death benefits only the circulation-seeking media and trial lawyers who hope to profit by assigning blame.
