Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Death before Sentencing provides a comprehensive expos of deaths in the 3,000-plus U.S. county and local jails largely ignored by state departments of corrections oversight agencies, politicians, and even criminal justice reformers. Jails have escaped any accountability for these deaths for several reasons. First, the nation's jails are local affairs. Even repeat jail deaths warrant no more than limited local coverage at most. Second, jails are mostly run by sheriffs, often the most powerful and largely untouchable political figure in a local community. Third, the families of deceased jail inmates usually lack the resources to sue or the socioeconomic clout to be heard in demanding accountability for the death of their loved ones. And lastly, many understand jail deaths as occurring from "natural causes," the verdict medical examiners and coroners erroneously employ to allow those responsible to escape accountability. This is the most complete investigation of the deadly side of jails, describing the daily deaths of detainees, including those from suicides, untreated drug and alcohol withdrawal, forced restraint and brutality, and general medical malpractice provided by for-profit correctional medical providers. Andrew R. Klein, with Jessica L. Klein, shows how the dearth of oversight by state correctional officials, state and county prosecutors, and state police, as well as sheriffs, medical examiners, and coroners, facilitates the cover-up of jail deaths. Led by grieving families and the media, the authors describe growing efforts to get the truth out about too many of America's jails Klein concludes with hopeful signs of reforms being initiated by the U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division under President Biden, state legislatures, successful lawsuits, and reformers. He also details the major institutional reforms required to stop the daily deaths in America's jails.
Synopsis
How have jails become the deadliest waiting rooms in America? Death before Sentencing provides a sweeping expos of thousands of avoidable deaths that have occurred in the U.S. county and local jail systems within the past few decades. These deaths have been overlooked, under-investigated, and even covered-up as jail systems avoid responsibility and refuse to take action. This is the most complete investigation of the deadly side of jails, describing the daily deaths of detainees, including those from suicides, untreated drug and alcohol withdrawal, forced restraint and brutality, and general medical malpractice provided by for-profit correctional medical providers. The lack of attention and responsibility paid by state and local officials, law enforcement, and medical examiners has facilitated these ongoing and increasing avoidable deaths. Looking forward to reforms being initiated by the U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division and within state legislatures and celebrating successful lawsuits, Andrew R. Klein lays out institutional reforms required to curtail the epidemic of the daily deaths in America's jails.
Synopsis
America's jails have a long history of killing inmates, most of whom die in jails before they are even convicted of a crime. Deaths behind bars are a direct result of abysmal, correctional facilities' policies, mostly for-profit medical providers, largely absent administrators, and unchecked brutality by jail deputies.