ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A complete of 17 inmates have died to date in 2022 whereas in custody with the Division of Corrections.

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That’s the very best variety of deaths recorded previously 20 years, in keeping with division data that return to 2000. Relations of these inmates now query whether or not the division has been doing sufficient to correctly deal with each inmate of their care.

Marcus Gillion remains to be alive within the reminiscences of his household and pals. His brother, Donald Gillion, remembers the great occasions he spent with Marcus whereas rising up.

“He simply, you understand like, listened to music,” Gillion recollects. “Tupac, you understand, cooking and, you understand, simply having a very good time.”

Marcus Gillion, 48, was the 14th inmate to die this yr whereas within the custody of Alaska’s Division of Corrections. Gillion’s members of the family say he had a recognized coronary heart situation and was beforehand identified with schizophrenia. They are saying his psychological well being points by no means grew to become an issue, so long as he was taking his medicines.

“He was a very good boy,” mentioned Marcus’ mom Carolyn Gillion.

This previous September, Carolyn known as police when Marcus started appearing violently. She says although Marcus by no means touched her, he was nonetheless arrested and jailed for assault. She then pleaded with the decide to put him in a psychological well being facility as a substitute.

“He began appearing unusual, speaking unusual, out of his head,” Carolyn mentioned. “So I didn’t know no different manner however to attempt to get him some assist by way of the courts and I used to be denied.”

After being incarcerated on the Anchorage Correctional Complicated for one week, Marcus was lifeless. The Gillions say they’ve known as the Division of Corrections, Alaska State Troopers and the State Medical Examiner’s Workplace to search out out what occurred, however have been informed they must wait as much as 12 weeks for the post-mortem report back to be accomplished.

They now have extra questions than solutions.

“They didn’t do a very good job, they didn’t do a very good job,” Carolyn Gillion contends. “As a result of my son, my youngster may have been right here right now if that they had did their job.”

“It actually do increase eyebrows like you understand, one thing is happening. I’m not blaming the DOC however, you understand one thing is happening,” Donald Gillion mentioned. “They’re not getting the right consideration or one thing for these folks to be dying at a speedy tempo like that, you understand.”

Two weeks earlier than Gillion’s loss of life, one other inmate, 31-year-old James Rider, additionally died whereas in DOC custody. His loss of life was dominated a suicide by the State Medical Examiner’s Workplace. Rider had been arrested various occasions for misdemeanor offenses however, in keeping with Alaska’s court docket data, had by no means been charged with a felony. His household says he had substance abuse points however had just lately taken steps to get sober, each for himself and his three younger youngsters.

“James was coming again round, and we have been actually pleased to see that,” mentioned Rider’s brother Mike Cox.

Cox says Rider turned himself into troopers after studying a warrant had been issued for his arrest for violating probation on escape and legal trespass expenses. Then, after 10 days of incarceration, Rider dedicated suicide.

“He was capable of fasten some sheets collectively and hold himself from the highest bunk,” Cox mentioned.

His household now needs to understand how this occurred, for the reason that Medical Examiner’s post-mortem report signifies that Rider was positioned on a suicide precaution watch, as a result of statements he made throughout his consumption analysis at Mat-Su Pretrial.

Rider’s post-mortem report states that on Aug. 30, Rider “remained beneath precaution for someday and was moved to a distinct cell with two different inmates.”

5 days later, he “was transferred to Cell 8 within the Charlie Dorm the place he was the only particular person within the cell.”

Inside hours of being transferred to that cell, Rider managed to hold himself with bedsheets, in keeping with the post-mortem report.

“He was put right into a cell by himself with all of the means to commit suicide, and he did,” Cox mentioned. “The neurosurgeon physician mentioned that he’d gone a minimum of a half an hour with no oxygen to his mind earlier than they began CPR.”

In keeping with the post-mortem report, Rider “was noticed to be alive and effectively roughly 20 minutes previous to being discovered throughout a scheduled cell examine.”

Cox, who feels DOC employees didn’t preserve an in depth eye on his brother, mentioned “it says that they weren’t coming round each 20 minutes.”

Division of Corrections Public Data Officer Betsy Holley says the division did every thing by the guide, together with visually inspecting inmates.

“Visible checks are accomplished each half hour,” Holley wrote in an e-mail. “(And) could also be extra frequent for inmates on suicide protocol.”

“Nothing provides up,” Cox mentioned. “I feel it was one thing concerning the remedy that he was getting, or the dearth of remedy.”

Cox mentioned he’s not satisfied the division is correctly treating inmates with psychological well being points.

“DOC is failing the people who they’re required by regulation to maintain secure and defend,” mentioned Megan Edge, Communications Director with the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, and Director of the Alaska Jail Mission.

Edge is investigating various points involving DOC, together with inmate deaths. She says inmates and corrections employees converse to her off the report about what goes on behind bars.

“Nobody actually has a good suggestion of what’s taking place in our jail system, besides the folks which can be residing there every single day, who’re principally unvoiced,” Edge mentioned. “Once they do converse up, they face very actual threats of retaliation.”

Relations of each Rider and Gillion now query whether or not their family members would nonetheless be alive right now in the event that they obtained the assistance they wanted whereas in jail.

“He mentioned that there wasn’t any, there wasn’t anyone to assist them there,” Cox recalled a dialog he had along with his brother the day earlier than his suicide. “There’s no docs or something that he may do to begin taking the steps of looking for psychological well being till he will get out of jail.”

Gillion’s household remains to be ready for the outcomes of his post-mortem. Holley says the division is restricted as to the data they will launch about inmates, however did present a written assertion saying the division has psychiatrists and medical professionals on employees who deal with inmates with a wide range of points. She mentioned every loss of life is reviewed, and that the division is consistently searching for methods to make sure the protection and well-being of each inmate of their custody.

Alaska Information Source made repeated requests over a interval of a number of weeks for an on-camera interview with the appearing commissioner of the Division of Corrections, however that interview was by no means granted.

Readers with any ideas or data associated to this story can e-mail the Investigative Staff at 2investigates@ktuu.com, or name us at 833-907-8477 (TIPS).

If you’re contemplating suicide, please name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or Cease Suicide Alaska at 1-877-266-HELP.

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