Deaths

San Diego Grand Jury Calls for Urgent Overhaul of Jail Health Services Amid Rising Custody Deaths

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San Diego, California – A recent report from the San Diego County grand jury has raised serious concerns regarding the quality of health care in the county’s jails, revealing that the Sheriff’s Medical Services Division has not been effectively tracking critical performance indicators. This oversight may be hindering the agency’s ability to implement necessary reforms aimed at improving the medical and mental health care for inmates. The 2022 policy update from the Sheriff’s Office expressed a commitment to continuous quality improvement (CQI), emphasizing the need for ongoing assessment and enhancement of healthcare services in detention … Read more

Tribes Take Legal Action Against U.S. Government Over Boarding School Atrocities and Deaths

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TRIBES SUING THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OVER HISTORICAL HARMS IN BOARDING SCHOOLS Washington, D.C. – A coalition of Native American tribes has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government, alleging a long history of severe abuses at Indigenous boarding schools. This legal action highlights decades of trauma stemming from policies designed to assimilate Native children into Euro-American culture. The lawsuit accuses the federal government of responsibility for numerous instances of death and mistreatment within these institutions, which operated broadly across the United States for more than a century. Many families experienced the loss of children, … Read more

Colorado’s Tougher Fentanyl Laws Fail to Curb Overdose Deaths, New Study Reveals

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Denver, Colorado – A recent study has revealed that the Colorado law aimed at combating the fentanyl crisis by toughening penalties has not decreased overdose deaths. The law, which converted the possession of small amounts of fentanyl into a felony offense, was enacted in May 2022 under the Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Act, signed by Gov. Jared Polis. A key component of the legislation was the reclassification of possessing one to four grams of any drug containing fentanyl, elevating it from a misdemeanor to a Level 4 drug felony. Alongside the increased penalties, the act … Read more

New Mexico Court To Decide On Sealing Hackman Estate Records, Citing Privacy After Tragic Deaths of Actor and Wife

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SANTA FE, N.M. – A court in New Mexico is currently deliberating on a request to prevent the release of extensive investigative records connected to the deaths of the famed actor Gene Hackman and his spouse, Betsy Arakawa. This legal appeal, put forth by the couple’s estate, aims to secure the privacy rights endowed by the constitution. Judge Matthew Wilson of Santa Fe has scheduled a hearing for Monday where the plea to withhold videos, photographs, and documents will be evaluated. In advance of this session, the court has temporarily suspended the disclosure of these … Read more