PRESUMED INNOCENT, FOUND DEAD.
Counting jail deaths in the year after Sandra Bland's death.
The Huffington Post set out to track everyone who died in jails and police lockups across the U.S. since Sandra Bland was found hanged in her cell last July. The Department of Justice tracks these deaths but does not share them due to exemptions in federal public records laws. To fill this information gap, we've requested records, scoured news reports and asked for readers' help. So far, we've counted more than 800 deaths, but based on federal data, we suspect there have been more. On average, nearly 1,000 people died in jails each year between 2000 and 2013, according to the Department of Justice.
Use this page to follow our coverage and find the latest reports citing our data.
We need your help.
If you’re a local reporter
We need your help bringing more deaths to light. Read our how-to on reporting on deaths in custody, and learn how to use our data to investigate your local jails.
If you have information about a death in jail
Send us a tip if you have more information about someone in our database or another death in custody between July 13, 2015 and July 13, 2016. The scope of our project covers jails — short-term facilities in which many inmates have not been convicted — not prisons.
One Year After Sandra Bland’s Death, #SayHerName Is As Important As Ever The Huffington Post Read article >>
A former corrections officer talks about her frustration with the lack of mental health care in jails. The Huffington Post Read article >>
Linda Spies’ son Jake was supposed to be on suicide watch, but still ended up dead. The Huffington Post Read article >>
The story of Athena Covarrubias, who hanged herself in a Texas jail last year. The Huffington Post Read article >>
Michael Paul was arrested for jaywalking and died in custody. His family wants to know why. The Huffington Post Read article >>
Jailed Over Traffic Tickets, This Mother Attempted Suicide. Here’s How She Got To That Point. The Huffington Post Read article >>
‘People Who Work In The System Become Desensitized To How Brutal It Is To Cage Someone’ The Huffington Post Read article >>
An Inmate Died Of Thirst In A Jail Run By A Loudly Pro-Trump Sheriff The Huffington Post Read article >>
Texas’ Largest Jail Hasn’t Learned Much From Sandra Bland’s Death The Huffington Post Read article >>
This Stroke Victim Was Jailed For Smoking Pot And Couldn’t Afford $100 Bail. He Died In Custody. The Huffington Post Read article >>
Sandra Bland’s Family Got A Settlement, But The Fight Isn’t Over The Huffington Post Read article >>
‘I Can’t Breathe’: Disturbing Video Shows Father Of Four Begging Guards For Help Before He Died In Jail The Huffington Post Read article >>
The Feds Are Going To Collect Better Data On Police Killings, But We Probably Won’t See It The Huffington Post Read article >>
The Feds Will Rely On Media Reports To Help Count In-Custody Deaths. Here’s Why That’s Problematic. The Huffington Post Read article >>
Jail Official Indicted On Civil Rights Charge In Death Of Diabetic Man He Allegedly Accused Of ‘Faking’ The Huffington Post Read article >>
The Cities That Feed Virginia’s Deadliest Jail Lock Up Hundreds Over Simple Pot Possession The Huffington Post Read article >>
4 People, Including A Baby, Have Died In A Jail Run By Potential Trump Nominee Sheriff David Clarke The Huffington Post Read article >>
A Deadly Virginia Jail Is Now Under Federal Investigation The Huffington Post Read article >>
We Wanted To Find Troubled Jails, So We Counted The Bodies The Huffington Post Read article >>
Jail Suicides Are Largely Preventable. So Why Are They On The Rise? The Huffington Post Read article >>
Former jailer admitted falsifying log in Sandra Bland's death, lawyer says The Houston Chronicle Read article >>
4 suicides in less than 4 weeks: Bexar County officials confirm latest death at jail MySanAntonio.com Read article >>
15 died in San Diego jails in the past year The San Diego Union-Tribune Read article >>
Burk Officers Reprimanded After Jail Death Texomas Read article >>
Huffington Post Counts 811 Jail Cell Deaths Since Sandra Bland Colorlines Read article >>
811 People Have Died in Jail Since Sandra Bland Became National News Alternet Read article >>
Sandra Bland’s death was a suicide. That doesn’t let the justice system off the hook Vox Read article >>
One-Year Anniversary of Sandra Bland's Death Teen Vogue Read article >>
One-Year Anniversary of Sandra Bland's Death Teen Vogue Read article >>