‘Deeper and bigger problems': Inmate safety at Duval County Jail under question after injury

Yahoo

09-04-2025

Many questions remain surrounding how a Duval County Jail inmate ended up in critical condition, with nine correctional employees now under investigation.
Right now, the jail inmate continues to fight for their life after an undisclosed incident took place in the jail Monday morning.
Sheriff TK Waters revealed on Tuesday that 8 corrections officers and 1 corrections sergeant were removed from their positions and stripped of their correctional authority out of an 'abundance of caution'.
'The safety and security of those housed in our jail is a priority for this agency,' said Sheriff Waters. 'And I assure the public that this investigative process will be thorough, competent, and comprehensive.'
However, this isn't the first incident involving the well-being of an inmate at the Duval County Jail.
Action News Jax records reveal that in 2024, 7 inmates died while in the jail's custody, and 15 inmates died in 2023.
In 2024, Action News Jax Records show that 5 JSO corrections officers were arrested. One of the arrests centered on the officer's use of force with an inmate.
Read: Jacksonville corrections officer arrested on false imprisonment, battery charges
'The cases I've had against the Jacksonville sheriff's office are among the worst I've seen,' said Andrew Bonderud.
Bonderud is a civil rights attorney in Jacksonville. He's represented in several high-profile cases, including the case of Dexter Barry, an inmate who had a recent heart transplant that died shortly after his stay in the jail because he never received his anti-rejection medication while there. Bonderud said that with this situation, it's likely another lawsuit could emerge.
Read: City settles with family of a man who died after not getting life-saving medication in custody
'If nine people are being disciplined or terminated as a result of this, it means that there are deeper and bigger problems that really need to be addressed, that need to be addressed with major action,' said Bonderud.
Action News Jax received the following update from JSO on the inmate's condition:
'Last we were advised, the inmate was continuing to be treated at a local hospital. This continues to be an ongoing investigation and as such, we do not have any further information on the incident.'
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We followed up again with JSO again to see if the inmate is still in critical condition. An official replied, saying:
'We do not receive routine health updates (outside of living or deceased) – as mentioned earlier...the subject is still admitted to a local hospital receiving treatment.'
We asked for more specific information regarding the incident but were told that as it is an active investigation, that information is protected under Florida state law.
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