A Utah lawmaker is planning to introduce a proposal to require county jails and state prisons to submit yearly reports on jail deaths and how they handle opioid and other medications amid renewed emphasis on jail deaths.
Davis County Sheriff Todd Richardson, meanwhile, says his office has begun a review of policies and procedures after several deaths in the summer of 2016. Those deaths, plus a fatal injury suffered by an inmate in December, triggered heavy public scrutiny of jails around the state.
Changes include more elaborate specifications and requirements during the process of screening people upon arrival at the jail; additional training and procedural direction for nurses and jailers; and a policy section warning personnel against any "deliberate indifference" to the health and safety of inmates.
