FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Family members of inmates who have died in the Broward County jail are set to hold a news conference, joined by representatives of the NAACP and Broward Public Defender Gordon Weekes. The conference comes in the wake of multiple inmate deaths reported at the jail, prompting calls for an investigation into the training and oversight of the Broward sheriff.
According to Weekes, there have been 21 inmate deaths since 2021, with most being classified as natural deaths. The NAACP has urged the US Justice Department to look into the situation, expressing horror at the injustice faced by families in Broward County.
One of the recent deaths includes Joseph Kirk, who died in the detoxification unit just six days after being arrested for resisting arrest. Another inmate, Hubert Blount, attempted suicide in the mental health unit, and Corbin Moberg died of a possible drug overdose after two and a half years in incarceration.
In response to the series of incidents, Weekes expressed concern about the difficulty of accessing the mental health system in South Florida, leading to individuals being placed in jail and ending up dead. The Broward sheriff’s office, on the other hand, stated that most inmates come in with mental health, drug abuse, or medical issues, and they spend $40 million annually on medical services.