Inmate Lakendra Jones, 50, Died In Custody At Texas Department of Criminal Justice Marlin Unit
FALLS COUNTY, TEXAS (December 4, 2023) - A 50-year-old inmate identified as Lakendra Jones has tragically died following a medical emergency at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Marlin Unit.
Falls County officials are saying that the incident took place on November 26. Lakendra Jones was suffering through some type of medical emergency.
Jail medical staff began life-saving measures in order to help her. Despite these efforts, she was later pronounced dead.
Very few details have been released. A full investigation into the in-custody death of Lakendra Jones remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for Marlin Inmate Deaths
Jails can be difficult and dangerous places, even in the best of circumstances. According to National Public Radio, “At least 6,182 people died in state and federal prisons in 2020, a 46% jump from the previous year, according to data recently released by researchers from the UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project.” There are many common causes of inmate deaths.
- Suicides
- Homicides
- Respiratory illnesses
- Heart attacks
- Cancer
Every inmate has a constitutional right to receive reasonably adequate care for their medical conditions. The level of care that an inmate will need will depend largely on their medical profile. Inmates with chronic illnesses may require extensive care. When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. There are many ways that a jail may have contributed to an inmate’s death.
- Correctional officers may have ignored the instructions of nurses or doctors.
- Correctional officers may have failed to help inmates going through a drug overdose.
- Correctional officers may have failed to get an inmate to the hospital in a timely manner.
It can be hard to know where to begin after any in-custody death. To make matters worse, jails often fail to be transparent about how any death takes place in their custody. Far too often, deaths are the result of some amount of jail medical neglect. This could be due to the actions of correctional officers or a private healthcare company working with the jail. The family of any person that died in custody may have legal recourse through a civil claim.
Investigating Marlin Jail Deaths
We at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of Lakendra Jones. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other tragedies like this.
Do you need more information about a Falls County inmate death? Our team of civil rights advocates are here for you. We are committed to helping inmates and their families understand their rights and holding jails accountable for their negligence. Whether you just have legal questions or need answers about how any in-custody death took place we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 214-987-4100.