"In those 48 counties, the same official charged with keeping incarcerated individuals alive has had the authority to oversee - and sign off on - the medical investigation into what went wrong. That is a clear conflict of interest."
"Come January 2027, independent medical investigations will be required for all deaths in custody - including those in county jails and state prisons, as well as deaths that occur during arrests. Counties with combined sheriff-coroner offices will be required to contract with another county's civilian medical examiner's office or with an independent physician unaffiliated with the sheriff."
California's jail death rate has increased despite declining jail populations, with preventable deaths from suicides, overdoses, and homicides occurring regularly. County sheriffs, responsible for incarcerated individuals' care, simultaneously served as coroners in 48 of 58 counties, creating a conflict of interest when investigating deaths in their custody. Assembly Bill 1108, signed into law in October, eliminates this practice. Beginning January 2027, all custody deaths—including those in county jails, state prisons, and during arrests—require independent medical investigations. Counties must contract with civilian medical examiners from other counties or independent physicians unaffiliated with sheriffs. These independent examiners will control investigation scope and determine cause and manner of death on death certificates.
#custody-deaths #conflict-of-interest #criminal-justice-reform #medical-investigation-independence #california-legislation
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