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Jefferson County coroner confirms death of incarcerated man on Friday

At least 14 other individuals have died across Alabama’s prison system this October.

William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Jefferson County. Google Earth
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An incarcerated individual died in the early afternoon on Friday at William Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.

In a statement released on Monday, Chief Deputy Corner Bill Yates confirmed the death of Harold Wayne Bailey, a 52-year-old incarcerated man at the Jefferson County facility, who died on Friday in the facility infirmary.

Bailey was found unresponsive in the infirmary by nursing staff that Friday, where he was receiving treatment for “significant natural diseases,” according to Yates, whose office completed an examination the following day.

No evidence of trauma or foul play was found during the examination of Bailey’s body, according to Yates.

The Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division is investigating the surrounding circumstances of Bailey’s death.

Donaldson Correctional Facility was the site of three deaths within three days at the beginning of the month.

The names of the three men who died in the facility are Austin Knowles, 25; Denarieya Letrex Smith, 30; and Timmy Wilson, 66. Smith’s death occurred in the early morning of Oct. 1 after he received “sharp force injuries” stemming from an incident with another incarcerated man, and is being investigated as a homicide, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.

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At least 14 other individuals have died across Alabama’s prison system this October, according to previous statements released by the ADOC.

John is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can contact him at jglenn@alreporter.com or via Twitter.

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