Another inmate died early Tuesday morning inside the Duval County jail. The 64-year-old’s death marks the 15th inmate death this year, and the fourth since a new health care provider took over at the jail in September.
Earlier this year, two state lawmakers requested the Department of Justice investigate the jail and the “skyrocketing deaths.”
In late September, state Reps. Tracie Davis and Angie Nixon sent a letter to the DOJ requesting a federal investigation — that was after the 12th death inside the jail.
It’s unclear exactly where that request stands.
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The Duval County jail switched to Naphcare after the city ended its contract with its previous health care provider, Armor. That contract was terminated after the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it found Armor failed to meet reporting requirements and Sheriff T.K. Waters learned the company had been found guilty in connection to an inmate’s death in Wisconsin.
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In the latest inmate death in Duval County, JSO reported that Renae Carter had been in the jail since Nov. 22 on a trespassing charge. He was housed in isolation, and JSO said corrections officers conducted rounds and talked to Carter through his cell door. After midnight Tuesday, the reported that Carter had stopped responding. He died a short time later.
The Medical Examiner will determine his cause of death through an autopsy as detectives continue to investigate. Initial information indicates Carter possibly had an undetermined medical episode, police said.
This all comes amid talks of moving the jail from its current location.
City leaders have met to talk about moving the jail several times, but if it were to happen, it would not be for many years and would cost over $380 million.
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