A 51-year-old man died Friday morning at Mat-Su Regional Medical Heart whereas in Alaska Division of Corrections custody, state officers stated Monday.
Khari Wade’s demise marked the seventeenth this yr for individuals incarcerated in Alaska. Extra individuals have died in custody to date this yr than in any yr this decade.
The Corrections Division stated in an announcement that Wade’s demise was “anticipated” and foul play was not suspected. The division doesn’t launch particulars about the reason for demise when individuals die in custody.
Wade had been incarcerated since 2017 and was convicted of illegal exploitation of a minor. He was serving his sentence at Goose Creek Correctional Heart, in accordance with a spokeswoman for the Corrections Division.
There have been 15 in-custody deaths reported in 2015, which prompted an administrative evaluation that discovered quite a few issues throughout the amenities. Fourteen individuals died throughout 2020, though COVID-19 was a contributing consider 5 deaths.
Advocates have known as on Gov. Mike Dunleavy to order an impartial evaluation of the division in response to this yr’s deaths. A number of individuals died after spending solely a short while in corrections amenities, together with two individuals who died after lower than 24 hours in state care.