Concerns raised over deaths in Pa. jails

• Ed Mahon
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  Ed Mahon comes to Spotlight PA from PA Post, where he covered state politics and policy, produced radio stories that were broadcast on public media stations throughout the state and on NPR’s national newscasts, and co-wrote a weekday newsletter. Prior to joining PA Post, Ed worked for six years as an investigative and political reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA Today Network. His reporting on failures in Pennsylvania’s system for protecting domestic abuse victims was a finalist in the national 2018 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists in the local reporting category. He was also part of a team whose coverage of the criminal justice system, including the aggressive use of civil asset forfeiture by York County prosecutors, received the 2018 G. Richard Dew Award for Journalistic Service from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Before joining the York Daily Record, Ed covered K-12 education at the Centre Daily Times in State College and worked as a stringer for suburban sections of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He grew up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

 Michael Rubinkam / AP Photo

In this Aug. 15, 2019 photo, Thomas Matthews and Carmen Riley pose for a photo in Harrisburg, Pa. Relatives of Ty'rique Riley, a 21-year-old inmate at the Dauphin County Prison who died under mysterious circumstances, says they still have questions after a coroner ruled he died of natural causes. Dauphin County Coroner Graham Hetrick said Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, that Riley had swelling in his brain and blood vessels and clots in his lungs.

July jail death attributed to natural causes

Michael Rubinkam / AP Photo

In this Aug. 15, 2019 photo, Thomas Matthews and Carmen Riley pose for a photo in Harrisburg, Pa. Relatives of Ty’rique Riley, a 21-year-old inmate at the Dauphin County Prison who died under mysterious circumstances, says they still have questions after a coroner ruled he died of natural causes. Dauphin County Coroner Graham Hetrick said Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, that Riley had swelling in his brain and blood vessels and clots in his lungs.

• The Dauphin County coroner on Thursday ruled that a 21-year-old man died of natural causes — dismissing speculation that his death was the result of mistreatment by jail officials, WITF’s Brett Sholtis reports.

• Ty’rique Riley, 21, died July 1 at a Harrisburg hospital after spending time at Dauphin County Prison. Medical records show that when Riley arrived at the hospital his kidneys were failing, teeth were broken and his body was covered in bruises, ABC27 reported earlier.

• Family members raised questions about Riley’s death. County officials said they don’t tolerate abuse, The Associated Press reported.

• On Thursday, family member Charles Blount told Brett that he feels some resolution knowing Riley wasn’t beaten. But he believes guards could have done more to help Ty’rique.

• Other counties have faced questions and criticism about inmate deaths. In York County, an Army veteran who turned himself in on a DUI case died while in custody at the county jail, the York Daily Record reported. His family members called for a grand jury investigation.

• In 2018, Lebanon County officials agreed to pay nearly $5 million to the family of a teenager who died after suffering from heroin withdrawal in jail, The Associated Press reported.

• County jails also tend to have suicide rates higher than the general population. Earlier this summer, The Associated Press reported that suicides in county jails hit a high of 50 deaths for every 100,000 inmates in 2014, the latest year government data was available.

• Over a four year period, county jails in Pennsylvania reported 81 suicide deaths to the Department of Corrections. They also reported an additional 123 deaths— most labeled as “natural.

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