The NAACP is tapping the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, citing an “alarming” number of deaths inside the jails.
In a letter to Assistant Attorney General For Civil Rights Kristen Clarke dated Jan. 29, President Derrick Johnson highlighted how 21 people have died in the facilities since 2021.
However, the number of deaths skyrocket to 80 if counting from 2011. People who have mental illness make up a significant amount of those cases, Johnson argued, and among these incidents are a string of suicides and alleged abuse at the hands of staff. He called on the agency to look into the conditions, the management, and whether inmates are receiving adequate medical and psychiatric treatment in the jails, which he described as “dangerous.”
“The NAACP is horrified by the continued injustice that Broward County families have been forced to endure. Make no mistake, every jurisdiction is responsible for the safety and well-being of any detained persons in their custody,” Johnson said in a statement.