Ga. Sens. Ossoff, Warnock work to prevent inmate deaths
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock on Thursday urged the U.S. Department of Justice to take action to prevent suspects’ deaths while in custody.
They want the department to strengthen policies aimed at tracking and collecting data about deaths in federal, state and local custody in order to better understand and mitigate risks inmates face while incarcerated.
The Democratic senators from Georgia requested the U.S. attorney general take steps to update reporting practices under the Death in Custody Reporting Act.
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The law requires the department to collect data from states and localities about the deaths of inmates in their custody to ensure transparency and help the department identify potential violations of civil or human rights.
In September 2022, a U.S. Government ability Office report found 70% of records on deaths in custody that states submitted in fiscal year 2021 were missing at least one category of information the law required the department to collect.
Earlier this year, an investigative report from NPR found some deaths classified as “natural” may trace back to preventable factors, such as inadequate medical treatment, neglect, or poor conditions.
However, according to department documents, reporting forms do not call for information about medical treatment or other factors that could shed more light on the causes of “natural” deaths, making it harder to discern the scope of this problem.
Click here to read the senators’ inquiry.
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