The Fresno County Main Jail is located at: 1225 'M' Street. Realignment changed the whole game, the sheriff said. Erkins was interacting with infirmary staff when he collapsed, after having seizure like activity, according to the report. It will hold 200 fewer people, reflecting realignments goal of reform and downsizing. You are are free to republish it so long as you do the following: Copy and paste the following into your page to republish: Sign up for the Overcorrection newsletter, the state was ordered in 2011 by the U.S. Supreme Court, California lost its decadeslong legal fight, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion. Three correctional officers appear to have been working the crowded sixth floor, and two officers in the security station noticed a group of men walking toward an inmate, according to a sheriffs office incident report. Accidental 5 . Attention friends and family of Fresno County Jail inmates. He just hesitated, and hes like, Im sorry to inform you . It is up to us to demand human rights and human treatment for inmates. Erkins speech slurred that evening as they sat at a dayroom table. Vital Statistics Office (Health Department): (559) 600-3310, Victim Assistance District Attorney: (559) 600-2822, Fresno County Public Administrator: (559) 600-8660. Deputies investigating death of inmate at Fresno County Jail, Long Island group helps incarcerated women return to society, Video shows deputies repeatedly tase inmate in cell before death, Inmate killed after hostage situation at OK jail, Condemned killer dies while on San Quentin's death row, Fresno County Sheriff's Office investigating death of inmate at the Fresno County Jail, Fresno County inmate who attacked correctional officer committed suicide in cell, 2 ex-deputies acquitted of manslaughter in stun gun death, 3 Santa Clara County correctional deputies charged in death, DPS: Sandra Bland arrest dash cam video not edited. The problem is particularly acute in places like Fresno, Kern and Merced counties, inland stretches of California, where deaths have surged disproportionately, a data analysis by McClatchy and ProPublica found. We, of the Fresno County Sheriff - Coroner's office, provide excellence in public service through our uncompromising belief in dignity in death. She closed several floors of the jail because she didnt have enough officers to watch inmates. Lorenzo Herrera was choked to death in the Fresno County Main Jail on March 24, 2018. In the reform era, jail sentences extended for years, meaning that sheriffs must provide long-term care for county jail inmates who previously would have gone to prisons. The Fresno County Jail has a troubling distinction. Jail staffers feel overwhelmed at times, said Lt. Russell Duran, a jail officer for 17 years. It is up to us to stop stigmatizing and shunning jail inmates. Yes, he had a gang history, an officer wrote on his intake form. EOW: February 11, 2023. Lopez received $4.9 million from the city in April for the death of her 16-year-old son, Isiah Murrietta-Golding, who was shot and killed as he ran away from officers attempting to detain or . Since 2006, The Vanguard has provided Davis and Yolo County with some of the best groundbreaking news coverage on local government and policy issues affecting our city, our schools, the county, and the Sacramento Region. ProPublica and The Sacramento Bee are spending the year reporting on resources, safety and crowding in California county jails. And according to a March court filing, they had been awaiting DNA test results from evidence. - (626) 585-9600 - dstormer@hadsellstormer.com ADVOCATES SUE FRESNO COUNTY FOR DEATH OF 29-YEAR-OLD EPILEPTIC MAN CAUSED BY DEPRIVATION OF MEDICAL CARE Data compiled by WBUR show that 195 people died in the custody of sheriffs from 2008 to 2018. In a jail intake photo, Herrera wore black clothes, his hat turned backward. Thats when California officials approved sweeping reforms called realignment, shifting responsibility for thousands of offenders from state prisons to county jails. The number of people incarcerated has exceeded 3,000 for six of the past seven months, within a court-ordered population cap but more than any recent time. Officers are sometimes slower to conduct rounds, to notice inmates who are gravely sick, to watch fights develop in a gang pod or to isolate psychotic inmates. His mother, Tabatha Rankin, said her son loved hiking and fishing but hadnt figured out what to do with his life. We have official accounts for ProPublica on. Detention Officer Kenneth Fowler. This story is part of an ongoing investigation into the crisis in Californias jails. Deijon Erkins called Meza, and she scolded him for interrupting her at the McDonalds where she worked. Crews helping residents stranded by snow in Mariposa County, Home catches fire in snow-covered neighborhood in North Fork, New shopping center unveiled in Northeast Fresno. For more information about canonical metadata, You cant edit our material, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. The Fresno County Jail made local, state, national and international news. 2 ex-deputies acquitted of manslaughter in stun gun death. document.getElementById('cloakc322882bb3c122834ca34f39ed082c03').innerHTML = ''; 1, 2021 at 11:52 AM PDT. Many departures were retirements, replacing experienced officers with rookies. She repeatedly checked the online inmate search tool that evening to see if Brock had been moved to a different, safer cell. Mims does not attend those meetings and said she instead sends jail administrators to represent her office. Herrera survived the violent chaos of the Fresno County Jail for 66 days, including living through a brawl that left another inmate unconscious. After losing two appeals, he is now on his way to federal prison with a three-year sentence. The District Attorney's Office has two (2) complete court days from the time the inmate has been arrested to file charges on new (P.C. At the time of Herreras death, Pacheco was in the Fresno County Jail awaiting trial on the 2015 robbery and assault case. Details emerged only in a trickle of court documents and sporadic interviews. Hes never there by himself.. Specter, with the Prison Law Office, said a sheriffs absence sends a clear message. The Fresno County Jail is a detention center made up of three different adjacent complexes, located at 1225 M. Street, . Re: Doris Anderson, et al. While decreasing the overload in state prisons, the results in county jails across California have been deadly. Judge . The Fresno County Sheriff's Office was established in 1856 and has a proud history and tradition of providing professional law enforcement services to the nearlyone million citizens of Fresno County. She also said one of the most painful moments of her time in office was releasing inmates during the economic downturn. ProPublica data reporter Lylla Younes contributed to this story. In the seven years before realignment, 23 inmates died in jail custody, data from the California Department of Justice shows. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. - A man convicted of brutally stabbing to death an elderly Lucerne resident in 1977 was denied parole again during a hearing this week. Their cases . Meza misses her partner and the better life they were trying to build. Brock had been assigned a frightening cellmate three days after he was arrested. For more information on modified visitation procedures, Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) Policy. And even now, no one at the jail seems to know what happened. My son wasnt no gang member, Carlos Herrera said in an interview. *** Please allow a minimum of 4-6 weeks for completion. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office was established in 1856 and has a proud history and tradition of providing professional law enforcement services to the nearly one million citizens of Fresno County. The inmate population is supervised by over 350 Correctional . In an investigation published by The Reader, it was stated, No other jail in California has seen a sharper increase in inmate deaths than the Fresno County Jail., Furthermore, The Reader also found that the problem is particularly acute in places like Fresno, Kern and Merced counties, inland stretches of California, where deaths have surged disproportionately., Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims claimed because county jails hold many dangerous people awful events, including deaths, are almost inevitable.. This includes publishing or syndicating our work on platforms or apps such as Apple News, Google News, etc. Attorneys filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Herreras parents in federal court in 2018, arguing that the teen was wrongly placed in the pod with violent defendants, and that despite a 2015 court order, the jails inadequate staffing levels left areas unmonitored and unsafe for both inmates and correctional officers. As a story by reporters Jason Pohl of The Sacramento Bee and Ryan Gabrielson of ProPublica shows, no county jail in California has had a . Talk to Us. FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Tina Gonzalez, a 26-year-old correctional officer from Fresno County Jail has been described as "depraved" by her boss. Paramedics tried to reopen Brocks airway and rushed him to the emergency room. This system only shows information that can be viewed by the public. By the time we had breakfast, seventy-five people were eating with two inches of human waste on the floor, one inmate said in a sworn affidavit. Find an obituary, get service details, leave condolence messages or send flowers or gifts in memory of a loved one. You may use the telephone to search for and register to receive notification about the custody status of an offender -- each state/county has their own toll-free VINE phone number. The People's Vanguard of Davis
Stay informed on the latest information and get access to important details about your community. But on Feb. 17, Erkins complained of not feeling well, according to his autopsy report. Much like information when it comes to inmate deaths, the very access to critical pandemic data (such as rates of transmission, positive tests, etc.) Its okay to put our stories on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. It is the mission of the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner's Office to provide excellence in public service through our uncompromising belief in dignity in death. A man has been charged, but detectives say theyre still trying to determine if there are additional suspects. This article was produced in partnership with The Sacramento Bee, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. Prosecutors in Fresno County have charged a man with murdering a 19-year-old jail inmate more than a year ago, newly filed court records show, but detectives say theyre still trying to determine if there are additional suspects. You cant use our work to populate a website designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements. Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). I took that opportunity to go and tell him that I love him, that everythings going to be right, she said. The prolonged homicide investigation is but one of Mims challenges in managing the chaotic Fresno jail. Effective Saturday, May 29, 2021, inmate visitationsat all Fresno County Jail facilities are allowed. He seemed to be OK, everything was OK, she said. In 1969, the majority of the inmates were Black and Latino. What Do You Know About County Jails in California? For more information on modified visitation procedures, Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) Policy. For Collins, a silver music note filled with his remains travels with her in the car. Many sheriffs offices, which run nearly all jails in the state, have struggled to handle the influx mentally ill and high-risk inmates incarcerated for longer sentences than the jails have ever dealt with before. I dont want to feel like youre afraid for me. MEDIA CONTACT:: Dan Stormer, Esq. They are funding and presiding over an institution of death and torture. Its okay to put our stories on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. . Tour members may be subjected to vulgar and/or obscene manners of communication. An autopsy determined Herrera had been choked to death, the cause of death ligature strangulation.. These public records all document a person's life, and they may be required for a range of legal purposes. Usted puede utilizar el telfono para buscar informacin y registrarse para recibir notificaciones acerca de la posicin de la custodia de un ofensor -- cada estado/condado tiene su propio nmero de telfono de VINE sin peaje. Booking No. document.getElementById('cloak5aba5b4c3f45a5c70aa7fe29b2b82d1d').innerHTML = ''; California Prison Gladiator Fights, Again! Get our investigations delivered to your inbox with the Big Story newsletter. As has . state prosecutions that end in convictions still wind up with little jail or prison time for the defendant. It is also possible to obtain inmate information over the phone by calling (888) 373-7011. . Learn how your comment data is processed. The South Annex Jail built in 1947, the Main Jail built in 1989 and the North Annex Jail built in 1993. A complete Coroner Report includes the scene investigation prepared by the deputy coroner, the autopsy report prepared by the pathologist (if an autopsy is performed), and the toxicology report. Torres got pulled over for a broken taillight. This includes publishing or syndicating our work on platforms or apps such as Apple News, Google News, etc. Fresno Police Department. Whether Brock reported his fears about his cellmate to jail staff is unclear. On Jan.17, 2018, Lorenzo Herrera called his parents, Carlos and Anna, to say he was OK but was under arrest. He just looked drained, Erkins bunkmate said. Of those, 127 died of medical causes . Lawyers representing Fresno County inmates sued the sheriffs office in February 1993, alleging cruel and unusual jail conditions that violated the U.S. Constitutions Eighth Amendment. In the past seven years, some counties took advantage of the billions of dollars attached to Californias realignment efforts to address overcrowding. Investigators with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office say they found Matthew Gonzales' body hanging in his cell. Their cases kicked off a nightmarish year in a local jail where problems trace back to Californias sweeping 2011 prison downsizing and criminal justice reforms. Herrera allegedly pointed a gun at an officer before surrendering. They miss their son, Amezcua said. Murder in the Fresno County jail. Call or e-mail the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. The increase in violence and death in Fresno started soon after the state was ordered in 2011 by the U.S. Supreme Court to reduce its prison population. Several county jail systems, including Fresnos, were already under court orders for violating the constitutional rights of people in their cells. And the consent decree required Mims to set some of them free. addy5aba5b4c3f45a5c70aa7fe29b2b82d1d = addy5aba5b4c3f45a5c70aa7fe29b2b82d1d + 'fresnosheriff' + '.' + 'org'; The Sheriff's Office patrols more than 6,000 square miles of Central California with a diversity of terrain that varies from open farmlands to . And many sheriffs spend minimal amounts on jail health care and safety. Our Mission. Unlawful Detainer cases are not available for sixty . The agreement requires the sheriff to hire 127 additional correctional officers to protect and provide services to inmates. The Sheriff of Fresno County also has the responsibilities of being the Coroner. Do what a civilized human being would do. If you are an attorney or party in a case not publicly available for viewing, you will have to come down to the courthouse to view the case. At least 18 correctional officers and staff from across the complex flooded into the pod. The Fresno County Sheriffs Office did not announce Pachecos arrest in the jailhouse slaying, as would be typical in high-profile or unsolved homicides. These less affluent counties in Californias Central Valley watched inmate homicides triple. Were You Affected by the Massive Wildfire in Northern New Mexico? Inmate Info (559) 600-8600or (559) 475-9491, North Annex Jail1265 M StreetFresno, CA 93721, South Annex Jail2280 Fresno StreetFresno, CA 93721. have proven to be difficult for agencies to attain. Sign up for the Overcorrection newsletter to receive updates in this series as soon as they publish. While Fresno County struggled with jail crowding and staffing, the state faced increasing pressure on its three dozen prisons. Sign up for the Overcorrection newsletter to receive updates in this series as soon as they publish. Though unpopular at first, the reality is it put some kind of sensibility of operation into the jail, said Assistant Sheriff Tom Gattie, who oversees Fresnos jail. Main Jail: (559) 636-4655. Officials have not identified the inmate or released a possible cause of death. Ryan Gabrielson is a reporter for ProPublica covering health care. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 7:00 am - 2:30 pm. As the Herrera, Brock and Erkins cases illustrate, this can have a ripple effect throughout the jail. Lorenzo Herrera, 19, was found dead in a Fresno County Jail cell in March 2018. 1265 M Street Fresno, CA 93721 United States (559) 457-2000. Christiana, who recently turned 3, is only beginning to ask questions. Since then, four have died at the hands of other inmates. They had their first child, Joseph, in 2014, and Christiana was born in spring 2016. Fresno, CA 93712. For example, Orange Countys jail on average holds twice as many people as Fresno Countys, but it had just one inmate-on-inmate homicide the past seven years. Realignment and subsequent sentencing reforms brought relief to state prisons and new burdens for many local governments. Many of them are nonviolent offenders, and some are probably innocent. booking# jid name age release_date releasetype arrestagency charges; 2313934: 0262609: easley, michael james: 52: 3/2/2023 7:28:00 pm: probation release: fsd13 - transportation / warrants The cellmate was incarcerated for six months, awaiting trial in a rape case, court records show, and a psychiatrist prescribed medicine for psychosis. Herrera was booked into Fresno Countys jail in January 2018 on burglary and assault charges after he and two other young men allegedly smashed into a home southeast of Fresno and then evaded law enforcement. In May 2011, California lost its decadeslong legal fight on prison overcrowding. It was just a little fight that they had gotten into and everything was fine. Yes, Brock was hospitalized, but Rankin couldnt visit him unless she first posted bail. Inmates are dying in markedly higher numbers. Investigators said that during his booking, he reported having high blood pressure but wasnt taking medication. Police Officer . No other jail in California has seen a sharper increase in inmate deaths than the Fresno County Jail, whose three buildings house more than 3,000 inmates. Total Line of Duty Deaths: 1,741. var addy5aba5b4c3f45a5c70aa7fe29b2b82d1d = 'Coroner' + '@'; Pachecos arrest was noted for the first time in a procedural filing in that lawsuit. Climate Whiplash Is in Californias Future, Farmworkers in Tulare United to Confront Unfair Eviction. He still lives with his grandmother, and his family tries to safeguard him. Don Specter, director of the Berkeley, California-based nonprofit Prison Law Office, whose litigation against the states prisons spurred the realignment effort, called conditions in most county jails a mess.. A jury trial is scheduled for 2021. Theres been a complete lack of action.. For more information on modified visitation procedures, Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) Policy, Orange Cove Shooting Hospitalizes Young Woman, Red Cross Opens Emergency Shelter for Residents Of Dunlap, Miramonte & Squaw Valley, Detectives Arrest Del Rey Elementary Employee for Child Sex Abuse, Program Allows Female Inmates to Learn Valuable Sewing Skills, Public Access to Road Closure and Detour Map, Winter Storm Map Allows Citizens to Monitor Risk Zones, Public Civil Unit Window Moves Out of FSO Downtown Headquarters, Sheriff's Office Cracking Down on Illegal Trash Dumping, Fresno County Jail Gets New Phone Service for Inmates. Simmons, 23, was arrested and put in jail on Feb. 10, 2021, and died of blunt-force head trauma seven days later on Feb. 17, 2021, according to his custodial death report. Conditions in the jail are barbaric. Three bookings within 48 hours, three people who went into the overcrowded jail and left dead or in a coma. It had an average daily population of 3,136 inmates in February, 11% higher than the previous February. Gonzalez worked as a correctional officer between 2016 . The South Annex Jail built in 1947, the Main Jail built in 1989 and the North Annex Jail built in 1993. How do I contact the Deputy Coroner in charge of my loved one's case? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We have official accounts for ProPublica on. They are human beings and deserve basic human rights. The selection will result in the display of the Inmate Information page where public information on the inmate can be reviewed. Email: ccemsa@fresnocountyca.gov. Hes gonna die!. More than an hour later, an officer called to tell her that Brock might not survive. Appearances for Superior Court are set by the Superior Court and scheduled for the next available court date. It might as well be now than later so I can get it done with.. Susan Russo, who was convicted of arranging the 1994 murder of her husband, has died at 67. Fresno County has denied all wrongdoing in the case. Andre Erkins, 30, writhed in pain for hours before dying of previously undetected cardiac disease. The main reason that people call 559-475-9491 is to find out if a particular person is in custody, although you can look up an inmate online by going here. n 836) arrests. The information available to the public was extremely limited. Phone: (559) 600-3387 Fax: (559) 600-7691. If you share republished stories on social media, wed appreciate being tagged in your posts. Groups and organizations wishing to schedule a tour may contact Jail staff at (559) 600-8726, Tuesday-Friday between the hours of 6:00 am and 4:30 pm. Please contact. The Fresno County Sheriffs Office is responsible for the operation of three jails within the county. Today, Brocks future remains uncertain, his mother said. Three bookings within 48 hours, three people who went into the overcrowded jail and left dead or in a coma. The Sheriff of Fresno County also has the responsibilities of being the Coroner. Rankin waited outside until the jails lobby opened. For more information about canonical metadata, You cant edit our material, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Fresno County. He held a dry-erase board proclaiming to be a Northerner from Reedley, a subsect of the Norteos street gang. His father saw the image as a survival tactic. Would love your thoughts, please comment. FRESNO, California (KWTX) - A judge this week sentenced Tina Gonzalez, 27, a former correctional officer with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, to . 559-475-9491. Your written request should include: (1) the decedents name and date of death; (2) your name and relationship to the decedent; (3) the address, email, fax number that you would like the report mailed to; and (4) a cashiers check, business check or money order made payable to the Fresno County Sheriff-Coroners Office for $84.55. She urged her son to report problems to staff. The 48-hour period in which Herrera, Brock and Erkins entered the Fresno County Jail illustrates the failures of county jails since the 2011 realignment.