General operational and educational information for corrections professionals. Not legal, medical, or compliance advice, and not a certification of compliance with any law or standard. Policies and standards vary by agency and jurisdiction; follow your facility's policy and your own legal, medical, and professional advisors. The library is reviewed and updated monthly; see the changelog.
Yes. Under the federal Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA), states and federal agencies are required to report deaths that occur in custody, including in local jails, to the U.S. Department of Justice. Beyond the federal requirement, many states have their own death-reporting and review obligations. The practical challenge for a facility is not only reporting the death, but being able to account for what happened and what staff did.
DCRA requires the reporting of deaths in custody to the Department of Justice, covering deaths in the process of arrest, in jail, and in prison. It is administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and states report through their designated processes.
Many states add their own requirements: death reporting to a state agency, mandatory reviews, and in some places public reporting. These vary widely, and a facility should confirm its specific obligations with its state and with counsel.
A death review and a report are far easier, and far easier to stand behind, when a facility can show what was seen and what was done, tied to an honest record, rather than reconstructing events from a disputed paper log. Good records do not just satisfy a requirement; they protect the facility and the staff who did their jobs.
Funding, reporting, and the record.
OJP and BJA Funding Resources Jail Safety Legislation WatchVirtual Patrol Technologies helps a facility keep the honest, reviewable record that reporting and review depend on. See the method, or request a Safety Intelligence Audit.
