Fourth man dies in sheriff’s custody in past two months

An inmate died Friday evening at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center near Elk Grove. This is the fourth inmate death in the past two months under the supervision of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

At about 11:15 p.m., officers were notified of a 41-year-old inmate in need of assistance, according to sheriff’s spokesman Sergeant Amar Gandhi. Officers found the unconscious inmate, removed him from his cell and administered first aid. Cosumnes Community Service District fire personnel later arrived and continued life-saving efforts, but the inmate was pronounced dead.

The man was arrested on March 28 by Sacramento police officers on a felony warrant.

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The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office is investigating the man’s death and will release his name once family is notified.

The man was the fourth inmate to die in Sacramento sheriff’s custody in the past eight weeks. Three other inmate deaths occurred on May 5, May 12 and June 8 at the downtown Main Jail, according to the sheriff’s office and previous Bee reporting.

Reports last year cited staffing shortages as a factor in inmate deaths. As a result of the low staffing levels, Sacramento County is violating a 2019 federal class action settlement that requires the prison to improve medical and mental health care for inmates.

Since the beginning of 2021, a total of 28 inmates have died in Sacramento correctional facilities.