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Last updated on Friday, December 5, 2014
(INDIANAPOLIS) - The number of in-custody county jail deaths in 2014 is already double the average.
The Indiana Department of Correction reports as of Thursday, 20 county jail inmates died while in custody, including an accused child molester found dead Wednesday from an apparent suicide in the Marion County jail.
Grant and Johnson counties had the most, with three deaths in each.
Marion and Cass counties have each had two jail deaths so far in 2014.
The numbers are concerning to Steve Luce, executive director for the Indiana Sheriffs' Association.
To see a list of county jail deaths visit: http://media.theindychannel.com/docs/IDOC_jail-deaths_12.4.14.pdf
Luce says new jail officers are supposed to receive 40 hours of certified training within their first year, which includes suicide prevention and mental health training and should be trained on medical protocols and procedures.
Included in the 2014 total is Kendra Shaw, who died of a severe asthma attack at the hospital, but still remained in jail custody, records show.
Shaw's family is suing the Grant County jail and its medical provider saying they were negligent and failed to call the ambulance in time to save Shaw's life.
The causes of the 20 in-custody jail deaths include natural causes, drug ingestion that was not detected and suicides.
"At this point, no conclusions have been drawn as to what may have caused the increase," said Amy Kent, spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Correction. "We are aware that there have been meetings among some sheriffs, the Indiana Sheriff's Association, and some state legislators in an attempt to address this concern."
IDOC tracks jail deaths, and when asked, will review the investigative procedures at the jail.
The average is eight to 12 in-custody deaths per year, according to IDOC.
Luce said the Sheriffs' Association had not been meeting with lawmakers specifically on the jail death issue, but the problem has come up during discussions regarding mental health.
"I think we have to remind ourselves that these people are humans," said Luce. "When these inmates come into the criminal justice system, they are the responsibility of the county sheriff. We will be working with them to revisit their policies and procedures."
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