I am writing to you as a concerned citizen to express my strong support for the initiative to mandate the tracking of deaths in custody. Recent reports from the Department of Justice and the Government Accountability Office highlight a disturbing increase in suicides within our nation’s custody facilities, with an 85% increase in state prisons, 61% in federal prisons, and 13% in local jails from 2001-2019. Alarmingly, 70% of these deaths lacked information required by the Death in Custody Reporting Act.
The current situation underscores a critical gap in our criminal justice system’s accountability and transparency. Implementing a mandatory tracking system, including a checkbox on death certificates to indicate whether a death occurred in custody, is a vital step toward addressing this issue. This small change could have a significant impact by ensuring better data collection, which is essential for reform and to prevent future tragedies.
The Hip Hop Caucus's leadership in advocating for this change is commendable, and I urge you to support these efforts. Improved tracking can lead to actionable insights and reforms that save lives and uphold the dignity of all individuals, regardless of their custody status.
As your constituent, I ask that you advocate for the necessary changes to ensure the CDC includes this crucial tracking mechanism on death certificates. Our community and our nation cannot afford to overlook the lives lost in custody. We must do better in safeguarding the rights and lives of all individuals, especially those under the government’s care.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I look forward to your support and action.
