Jacob Waddelow Died At The Federal Correctional Institution Englewood In Littleton

Inmate Jacob Waddelow (Full Name: Jacob Robert Waddelow) Died While Staying At The Federal Correctional Institution Englewood In Littleton

LITTLETON, COLORADO (August 29, 2023) – A 46-year-old inmate identified as Jacob Waddelow has tragically died at the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in Littleton.

Jefferson County officials are saying that the incident began around 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Correctional officers found Jacob Waddelow unresponsive in the Detention Center directly adjacent to the prison.

Jail staff and medical staff entered the cell in order to help the inmate. Despite life-saving measures, Jacob Waddelow was later pronounced dead.

The death comes just one day after he was booked into the facility as a pretrial offender. He was indicted for possession of amphetamine. A full investigation into the death remains ongoing at this time.

Liability For Littleton Inmate Deaths

Prisons are supposed to be places of rehabilitation. But for far too many people, entering into the prison system can be a death sentence. According to National Public Radio, “At least 6,182 people died in state and federal prisons in 2020, a 46% jump from the previous year, according to data recently released by researchers from the UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project.” There are a number of steps that jails should take in order to keep inmates healthy and safe during their stay.

• Correctional officers should conduct regular health and safety checks on inmates.
• Inmates should be given any medications that they were prescribed prior to their incarceration.
• Correctional officers should be trained to identify when an inmate may be in medical distress.

Jails have a legal obligation to take care of the inmates that they house. Inmates have a constitutional right to receive reasonably adequate healthcare. The level of care that every inmate may need will be different because every inmate enters the prison system with different health needs and medical conditions. When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a civil claim. For example, correctional officers may have failed to intervene to help an inmate in the midst of a medical emergency.

A number of inmate deaths are brought about due to drug overdoses. Consider, for example, The Estate of Bernard Victorianne v. County of San Diego. A 28-year-old man was arrested for allegedly driving his vehicle while intoxicated. As he was being booked into jail, he told a nurse that he recently swallowed a bag of methamphetamine. That nurse told officers he needed immediate medical care. However, he was booked into a solitary cell and later died. His family eventually settled with the county. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any inmate death.

• Surveillance footage should be sought.
• Medical records should be preserved.
• Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
• An independent autopsy may need to be performed.
• A thorough investigation should be conducted.

In-custody deaths are often highly preventable. Indeed, many of the people who die in custody were in their 30’s or 40’s. Jails are supposed to be proactive about keeping inmates safe. But far too often correctional officers will not intervene to help inmates in their care until after they’re in the midst of a medical emergency. It is important that inmates and their families understand that they do have rights. The family of any person that dies in custody may be able to seek some measure of accountability through a civil claim.

Investigating Inmate Deaths At FCI Englewood

We at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of Jacob Waddelow. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that measures are put in place to prevent other tragedies like this. FCI Englewood needs to be doing everything in their power to ensure that the constitutional rights of those they care for are being protected.

Do you need more information about an in-custody death at FCI Englewood? Our team of civil rights attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. If you’ve lost someone during their incarceration, there are a number of laws designed to help you. We are committed to protecting the constitutional rights of inmates and holding jails accountable for their neglect. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 469-966-7614.