Bill > HB323

This bill establishes new procedures for notifying and reporting inmate deaths in Louisiana correctional facilities, which include jails, prisons, and detention centers. Upon an inmate's death, the facility supervisor must immediately notify the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the local coroner, and within twelve hours, but not between midnight and 6:00 a.m., notify an immediate family member, defined as a spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or legal guardian. The supervisor must also provide the family with a written letter of condolence detailing the circumstances of the death and a preliminary report within thirty days, which will be made publicly available along with a comprehensive report containing specific details about the deceased inmate and the death. An independent investigator will be appointed to examine the death, and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections will review systemic issues and coordinate with the Department of Health to assess the quality of medical care. These procedures do not apply to deaths from natural causes while attended by medical staff or to deaths resulting from a legal sentence of death. Failure to comply with these notification requirements can result in imprisonment or fines. Additionally, the bill mandates the collection and annual public reporting of inmate death data by the Department of Health and the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, and it amends death certificate requirements to include whether the person died while in prison or serving a sentence.