Alaska: Anchorage news reveals that the eighth inmate to die this year in the custody of the Department of Corrections passed away on October 28. KTUU reported that Nancy G. Analoak, aged 47, died after three days in the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center. The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
The female detainee in Alaska unresponsive
The KTUU report noted the unresponsive female detainee was found in her cell at around midday by a nurse. Emergency medical treatment failed to revive her and she was pronounced dead. The facility in Eagle River is where people are held pre-trial.
There is to be a full investigation into the death. This will be carried out by the Alaska State Troopers and the State Medical Examiner's Office.
Previous deaths in DOC custody
In February 2018, a Spring Creek prison inmate developed serious medical symptoms and he was taken to the Spring Creek medical unit. In fairness to the corrections officers, Romeo K. Iyapana got treated as fast as possible. Later, transferred to Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage, he died six hours after presenting with illness.
Rethinking Alaska’s only maximum-security prison - Anchorage Daily News - great article about a really impressive initiative https://t.co/DPE6CT8HQs
— Luke Jones ن (@slukejones) October 30, 2018
In August 2018, Wildwood Pretrial Facility inmate Kendall J.
Barrett died in Kenai hospital. KTVA noted he suffered from injuries following a suicide attempt. Officers found him in his cell, unresponsive, at about 5:30 PM. The inmate was rushed to hospital but died the next day.
In May 2018, Alaska Public Media reported Leslie Aveoganna, 57, another inmate at the Wildwood Correction Center in Kenai passed away.
There was no obvious injury and an autopsy was ordered. It was the third death at the facility in 2018.
In September, Goose Creek Correctional Center lost an inmate as well. Frontiersman reported that Douglas W. Artemis had been in the facility for about two weeks. Foul play was not suspected.
Doran Jennings, 27, died by apparent suicide in solitary confinement in an Alaska prison. It would be the Alaska prison system's third suicide this year. https://t.co/bRYlImChny
— #HALTsolitary (@NYCAIC) October 30, 2018
Historical deaths in correctional custody flagged problems
Back in 2015, the Treatment Advocacy Org noted that four deaths flagged some problems within the Alaska Corrections department. "Davon Mosley was found dead in his cell in April of 2014 after spending two weeks in segregation at the Anchorage correctional facility." Allegedly he was left naked after being pepper sprayed and died from 12 ulcers.
Apart from Mosley, three other inmates deaths were checked out by a joint Alaska House and Senate judiciary committee hearing. "Walt Monegan, DOC Interim Commissioner, apologized for the deaths and promised change."
