LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Twelve people have now died while in custody of Louisville's Department of Corrections since Nov. 2021. The ACLU of Kentucky confirmed the latest death during a press conference on Tuesday.

The latest jail death was discovered Monday around 7 p.m., Metro Corrections said. Bashar Ghazawi, 39, was found unconscious and transported to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just before 8 a.m. Tuesday.

During a press conference outside the Department of Corrections in downtown Louisville, ACLU of Kentucky leaders urged LMDC to sever ties with Wellpath, a for-profit health care provider contracted by the jail.

"When the government chooses to incarcerate a person, it also takes on the responsibility of caring for them," ACLU of Kentucky said on Twitter. "LMDC has clearly failed the community by contracting with Wellpath."

Wellpath has been sued hundreds of times, ACLU policy strategist Kungu Njuguna said Tuesday. Njuguna added that other jails have seen positive outcomes from cutting ties with large corporations and engaging with local providers instead.

The twelve deaths in Louisville Metro Corrections custody since Nov. 2021 have been a mix of suicides and overdoses. Jail leaders and staff, along with new director Col. Jerry Collins, have struggled to keep officers employed at the jail and keep out contraband. 

When Collins took over at LMDC following Dewayne Clark's departure, he signaled support for big changes to fix the problems, including justice reform and ending cash bail for nonviolent offenders to reduce overcrowding.

The city has made a handful of attempts to reduce overcrowding in recent months. Louisville launched a warrant amnesty program in May for those facing nonviolent offenses, and hiring and recruiting efforts have intensified.