The San Bernardino County Coroners Office is investigating the deaths of two prisoners at the California Men’s Institute in Chino, which occurred at intervals of just a few days under very similar circumstances.
According to prison officials, Rodney Hawkins, 32, died on June 10, and Richard Hallsapple, 30, died on June 12.
“Both were found to be single-cell, unresponsive and were transferred to an outside hospital where they were sentenced to death,” Dana Shimas, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Orthodontics and Rehabilitation, said in an email. Stated.
Neither prisoner had a selmate.
Cause of death unknown
The coroner’s office said he refused to comment further, saying he had not identified the cause of the deaths under investigation. Coroners are waiting for the results of toxicity tests in both men.
Hawkins, who had been in prison since February 4, 2020, was sentenced to four years in prison for assault in San Diego County.
Hallsapple has been imprisoned since October 4, 2019 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for one robbery, massive theft of firearms, and acquisition / retention of personal information after being convicted in Placer County. was doing.
The male family was not asked to comment.
11 people died in 3 months
Founded in 1941 and covering approximately 2,500 acres in Chino, the California Institute for Men is the third oldest prison in the state. As of this week, the facility accommodated 2,312 inmates and had a capacity of 77%.
According to the latest statistics, 11 people died at the California Institute for Men between January and March.
The California Orthodontic System states in a 2019 report that cancer, drug overdose, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and suicide are among the leading causes of death in prisoners. The study also found that the dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths in California prisons between 2016 and 2019 reflects an opioid epidemic in the United States.
Studies have shown that all but one of the 64 overdose deaths in 2019 were caused by illegal opioids, including fentanyl or amphetamines.
In 2019, the state implemented an addiction treatment program aimed at providing prisoners with drug-assisted treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy, support in special housing units, and a transition to a community-based post-release program. .. The program will be extended to all 35 prisons in the state this year, the report said.
Coroner investigating 2 inmate deaths at Chino state prison – Press Enterprise Source link Coroner investigating 2 inmate deaths at Chino state prison – Press Enterprise
