Two more incarcerated men died at Bibb Correctional Facility this week, the Alabama Department of Corrections confirmed to APR on Friday, bringing the total deaths in that prison to three since Independence Day.
Tyrone Triplett, 52, died on July 6, department spokeswoman Kristi Simpson confirmed in a message to APR. Kevin Rush, 40, died on July 8.
Simpson said both men died “due to complications from an apparent health condition(s)” and the exact causes of death are pending full autopsies. No foul play is suspected in either, Simpson said.
John Gordon, 42, was found unresponsive by prison staff at Bibb prison on July 4, Simpson confirmed to APR on Wednesday.
Gordon’s cause of death is pending a full autopsy, and foul play is not suspected, Simpson said.
Simpson did not comment on APR‘s question as to whether ADOC believes Gordon’s death may have been the result of a drug overdose.
A man serving at Bibb prison told APR he believed Gordon overdosed on drugs. APR is not identifying the man to protect his safety. The man said he witnessed the incident, and beat on a door for guards to come and take Gordon to the infirmary, but that the guards didn’t respond, and Gordon died while he waited.
The man said he believes at least one of the other recent deaths may have also been a drug overdose. These latest three deaths follow several others in Alabama prisons in recent weeks.
Jason Matthew Kirkland, 27, was pronounced dead on July 5, at William Donaldson Correctional Facility, according to AL.com, which quoted Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates as saying there were no immediate signs of foul play and that an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday.
Larry Brown, who was serving at Bullock Prison, died on May 5, becoming the fourth person incarcerated in Alabama to die that month, following an assault by another incarcerated man, according to The Montgomery Advertiser.
The U.S Department of Justice is suing the state and ADOC over what the federal government says are systemic and rampant problems with violence, excessive deaths, drug abuse and corruption in Alabama’s prisons for men.
The DOJ filed an amended complaint in May that states ADOC and its leadership continue to fail to protect incarcerated men from physical and sexual violence and death, despite years of warnings from the federal government.
The amended complaint also states that ADOC hasn’t been able to control contraband, which is resulting in mounting overdose deaths, despite no visits by outsiders being allowed in prisons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Although ADOC has not allowed visitors into Alabama’s Prisons for Men since March 2020 pursuant to COVID-19 restrictions, prisoners continue to have easy access to drugs and other illegal contraband,” the complaint reads.
