TUCSON, Ariz. — Three crosses sit on the median of South Mission Road facing the Pima County Jail. Each one bears the name and picture of someone who died while in jail, in custody of Pima County.
Families with similar stories, who have had loved ones die while in jail, met outside the jail on Monday, July 15, wearing shirts and holding signs that memorialized the person they lost.
Christine Cariño calls herself a community mom. She was one of the organizers of the rally and was there supporting her friends and family
“You need to take accountability,” Cariño said, talking about the lawsuits some of the families have naming the Sheriff Department. “We need change, and we need justice for sure.”
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said he wasn't able to comment on specifics of any of the lawsuits, but he did say the deaths were "horrific."
"Every family member who has lost somebody, in my custody or out of my custody, it's a horrific loss, and I understand that. Every time, every single time, I try my best to look at how we can do a bit better. That's all I can say."
Nanos says that when someone dies in county custody, the administration holds a death review panel. These panels have staff from the medical examiner's office, Naphcare (the jail's in-house healthcare team,) the county attorney, the county health department and the corrections chiefs and commanders.
They investigate and write up a report that the higher-ups in administration read before deciding if changes should be made within the system.
