BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Six inmates who have died this year died by suicide, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office website says.
Ten inmates have died so far while in custody of the office in 2023, KCSO said. The following cases of inmate deaths were caused by suicide:
- A 42-year-old Asian male on Jan. 20 by hanging and strangulation
- A 24-year-old Hispanic male on Feb. 3 by hanging and strangulation
- A 34-year-old White male on April 21 by hanging and strangulation
- A 25-year-old White male on May 3 by hanging and strangulation
- A 31-year-old White male on Sept. 4 by hanging and strangulation
- A 31-year-old Hispanic female on Sept. 10 by hanging and strangulation
According to KCSO, two other cases of inmate deaths — one on Feb. 6 and the other on July 6 — are due to natural causes. The two remaining cases, which were on Aug. 25 and on Oct. 6, are still pending investigation.
All information on inmate deaths can be found on KCSO’s transparency page. Following the passing of Assembly Bill 2761, law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over a state or local correctional facility with custodial responsibility for a dead inmate are required “to post specified information, including the facility and location within that facility where the death occurred, and the decedent’s age, race, and gender, on its internet website within 10 days of the death,” according to the legislature’s text.
Previously, the sheriff’s office would issue a release with some details of the events leading up to an inmate’s death.
Lori Meza with KCSO told 17 News in January that the sheriff’s office would not issue press releases on an inmate’s death in the future due to AB 2761.
