Inmate Nicholas Hill Died In Suspected Homicide At Colorado State Penitentiary In Cañon City
CAÑON CITY, CALIFORNIA (October 22, 2023) - An inmate identified as Nicholas Hill has tragically died after being attacked by three other inmates at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Cañon City.
Fremont County officials are saying that the incident took place on March 23. Arrest records revealed that Nicholas Hill was violently attacked by three other inmates.
The victim was attacked as he was trying to break up a fight between other inmates inside of the prison. Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the victim.
Nicholas Hill was airlifted to Penrose Hospital where he later died. A full investigation into the attack remains ongoing at this time
Liability For Colorado State Penitentiary Inmate Homicides
Homicides remain one of the major causes of inmate death in the United States. According to Statista, “In 2019, 143 inmates of state and federal prisons in the United States were killed by homicide. This is a significant increase from 2008 levels, when 40 inmates were killed in state or federal prisons in the United States.” There are many steps that jails should take in order to protect inmates.
- Jails should be properly staffed by trained correctional officers.
- Jails should do everything in their power to avoid overcrowding. Overcrowding can lead to increased instances of violence.
- Jails should do their best to separate rival gang members.
Jails have a legal obligation to protect inmates from foreseeable sources of harm. This includes attacks involving other inmates. If a jail has specific knowledge of particular threats and fails to act, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. It is also possible that a negligence claim could be pursued under Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. Secs. 2671- 2680. Victims of inmate assaults tend to suffer very serious injuries including.
- Stab wounds
- Broken bones
- Head trauma
- Psychological injuries
Many inmate homicides are preventable. They tend to happen when jails have lax security measures. For example, jails may fail to prevent inmates from gaining access to weapons. It is important inmates and their families understand that they do have rights afforded under the constitution. The family of any person that died in an inmate attack may have legal recourse through a civil claim. A civil rights attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating Inmate Deaths At The Colorado State Penitentiary In Cañon City
We at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of Nicholas Hill. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. There needs to be some accountability for the sake of the victim’s family.
Do you need more information about an inmate death at the Colorado State Penitentiary In Cañon City? Our team of civil rights attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We are committed to helping inmates understand their rights and holding jails accountable for their unconstitutional actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 214-987-4100.