A frozen jail inmate, 25 indictments and an Alabama sheriff still standing
The cell where Tony Mitchell died of hypothermia and sepsis in 2023 sits empty now, but for a few spare mattresses strewn on the floor inside the Walker County Jail.
The cells surrounding the one where Mitchell died now have sensors that can detect an inmate’s breathing and heartbeat. At a nearby wall of video boards with constant camera feeds, a jail employee can see the respiratory rate and heartbeat of every inmate on the floor.
If an inmate stops breathing, or if his heart stops beating, an alarm goes off. Corrections officers are expected to respond and make instant life-and-death decisions. A nurse from the nearby infirmary is expected to respond. A commanding officer with Narcan on his belt can give an emergency injection if someone is overdosing. Paramedics are called to the jail…