Death before Sentencing: Ending Rampant Suicide, Overdoses, Brutality, and Malpractice in America's Jails

Death before Sentencing is a book that highlights the lack of media, political, and criminal justice reformer attention to county and local jails in America. It explores the daily deaths of detainees, including suicides, drug and alcohol withdrawal, forced restraint, and medical malpractice, and how the failure of jail oversight allows for the secrecy and cover-up of these deaths. Through wrongful death lawsuits and the media's involvement, communities are working to hold jailers and medical providers accountable and initiate reforms to stop the daily deaths in jails.

Format: Hardback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Death Before Sentencing is a comprehensive exploration of the widespread neglect and lack of media attention given to America's county and local jails. These facilities have largely evaded scrutiny for deaths occurring within their walls, primarily due to several factors. Firstly, jails are considered local affairs, and even repeated jail deaths receive limited local coverage at most. Sheriffs, often the most powerful political figures in a local community, oversee the majority of jails, making them largely untouchable. Moreover, the families of deceased jail inmates often lack the resources to pursue legal action or exert significant socioeconomic influence to demand accountability from jail officials. Additionally, many perceive jail deaths as resulting from "natural causes," a verdict medical examiners and coroners erroneously employ to absolve those responsible for these deaths from accountability.

This book constitutes the most thorough investigation of the lethal side of jails, detailing the daily deaths of detainees caused by a range of factors, including suicides, drug and alcohol withdrawal, forced restraint and brutality, as well as medical malpractice. Andrew R. Klein and Jessica L. Klein, through their research, expose the failure of jail oversight by state correctional officials, state and county prosecutors, state police, sheriffs, medical examiners, and coroners, which allows for the secrecy surrounding and the cover-up of jail deaths. Communities, led by grieving families, have taken action through wrongful death lawsuits and the increasing media attention to uncover the truth about deadly jails.

This book concludes on a hopeful note, highlighting reforms initiated by the U.S. Justice Department under President Biden and state legislatures. These efforts aim to address the systemic issues and improve the safety and well-being of individuals held in jails. It is crucial to recognize the importance of addressing the deaths that occur within these facilities and to work towards creating a more just and accountable criminal justice system.

Weight: 667g
Dimension: 237 x 160 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538162279