LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The FBI will be conducting a civil rights investigation into one of three recent deaths involving people held at the Louisville jail, according to Dwayne Clark, director of Louisville Metro Department of Corrections. 

What You Need To Know

  • The head of Metro Corrections has called for a civil rights investigation into one of three recent deaths at the Louisville jail

  • Director Dwayne Clark answered questions from council members Wednesday

  • Jail leaders say one person died by suicide and the causes of death for two other people are pending, but they appeared to have had medical conditions

  • The president of Louisville Corrections FOP Lodge 77 said the ratio of officers to people housed in the jail is unsafe

Clark would not say which death was the subject of the investigation.

In a committee meeting Wednesday evening, Clark was questioned by Louisville Metro Council members who said the department is in crisis. 

Clark said that five officers and one sergeant were working on a floor where a 48-year-old woman who was in a hold cell Saturday later died by suicide.

"The police investigation and LMDC investigation will determine whether the men and women at work did their job right and I hope that they did," he said. 

James Peden, council member for District 23, raised concerns about a lack of staffing. 

"We’re looking at almost a 15 to 20 minute process that this woman was able to do what she did," said Peden. "And no one wandered by?" 

"Do you believe that if you had proper staffing that it would have possibly been prevented?" asked David James, council member for District 6.

"Well, that would cause me to speculate," replied Clark. "I can’t say that it would have prevented it or would not have prevented it. 

According to jail leaders, while the number of people being held in the jail has dropped from 1,600 over the summer to 1,425 this week, the facility is still over capacity. 

Daniel Johnson, president of Louisville Corrections FOP Lodge 77, said the ratio of officers to people housed there is unsafe. 

"It’s completely unsafe," he said. "We could 100% be checking on folks ahead of time. If we had 10 people working on that dorm side unit, that person might still be alive today."

According to Clark, two other people who died in the same week appeared to have medical issues, but their causes of death are pending. 

"My heart goes out for their tragic loss," he said, following the discussion. "I don’t want to see anybody lose their life, in jail or otherwise. That’s why we work hard everyday, got some hardworking men and women to try to prevent that."

The three deaths are under investigation.

The ACLU of Kentucky is calling for county officials to review bonds to lower or eliminate them in some cases and for leaders to direct LMPD to issue citations for low-level offenses instead of making arrests.

"We could release people today as we stand here and that is what we are asking to be done today," said Kungu Njuguna, a policy strategist with the organization. "People are dying and we can save people."

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