It’s Not February Yet And 3 Alaskan Inmates Have Already Died In Custody
In the first half of January, three inmates from Southcentral Alaska died while in state custody, a significant number considering that there were 10 inmate deaths statewide in 2023.
John Malcolm Groff, 82, an inmate at Goose Creek Correctional Center, and Joshua Keith Zimmerman, 33, from Anchorage Correctional Complex, both passed away on Thursday night. Daniel Eugene Rosendahl, 37, an inmate at Spring Creek Correctional Center, died on Monday afternoon.
Groff, incarcerated since July 2008, was serving a 45-year sentence for sexually abusing three young girls, as reported by the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. His death was anticipated by medical staff, according to the Alaska Department of Corrections.
Zimmerman and Rosendahl were in custody but not yet sentenced. Zimmerman had been detained since December 12 on charges including assault, robbery, and theft. Rosendahl had been in custody since January 2023, facing charges for drunken driving and burglary.
Betsy Holley, a Corrections spokesperson, declined to provide details on these deaths on Wednesday, citing patient privacy under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Holley described the recent deaths as “very unfortunate,” noting that the inmate population often mirrors broader community trends, including preexisting medical, mental health, and substance use issues.
After such deaths, the department reviews procedures and standards to improve inmate safety, said Holley.
The ACLU of Alaska, monitoring prison deaths since a spike in 2022, called for legislative oversight following this month’s incidents. They disputed last year’s official death count, claiming it should be higher based on medical emergencies in DOC custody.
Megan Edge, director of the ACLU’s Alaska Prison Project, announced an independent investigation by the ACLU into all three recent deaths. She expressed concern about the safety of Alaska’s prisons, noting a trend of deaths among young inmates, many pretrial, with the Department of Corrections providing limited explanations.
Edge, a former Corrections spokesperson under ex-Gov. Bill Walker, said that the department can disclose more about inmate deaths without violating HIPAA. She recalled that during her tenure, after a record 15 deaths in 2015, the Walker administration initiated a review and established a Professional Conduct Unit for investigating inmate deaths, which was later disbanded by Gov. Mike Dunleavy due to cost concerns.
The ACLU of Alaska is involved in ongoing litigation against the department over the 2022 suicide of inmate James Rider, highlighting ongoing concerns about inmate welfare and department transparency.
Post Comment