2 more Alaska inmates die as details emerge on early-morning Anchorage jail death

The Anchorage Correctional Complex successful 2020 (Lex Treinen/Alaska Public Media)

No unit was utilized astatine nan Anchorage jailhouse against a man who died location past Wednesday, according to authorities correctional officials.

As his decease remained nether investigation Tuesday, officials besides announced 2 much Southcentral Alaska inmates suffered aesculapian issues and died past week. That brings nan state’s full number of in-state custody deaths to 10, nan aforesaid number arsenic each of past year, prompting continued calls from nan American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska for answers and action.

“From our end, we person perfectly a ton of questions,” said Megan Edge, head of nan group’s Alaska Prison Project. 

The Anchorage Police Department released a fewer further specifications Tuesday astir nan man who died early Wednesday astatine nan Anchorage Correctional Complex. Police identified him arsenic 38-year-old Ross Greenley, saying he was initially arrested arsenic a vandalism fishy adjacent nan Alaska Backpackers Inn downtown soon aft 3:30 a.m.

Police spokeswoman Renee Oistad said Greenley was taken into custody “without incident” astatine 3:48 a.m. Wednesday connected Eagle Street. Whether constabulary utilized immoderate unit against Greenley aliases whether he showed immoderate aesculapian issues astatine that time, she said, some stay nether investigation.

“He was evaluated by nan (Alaska Department of Corrections) caregiver upon presence astatine nan jail,” Oistad said successful an email.

DOC spokeswoman Betsy Holley said that Greenley was still successful constabulary custody erstwhile he entered nan jailhouse astatine astir 4:15 a.m. Wednesday. Nobody astatine nan installation utilized unit against him, she said.

“And again, APD still had him successful custody,” Holley said. “So thing that occurred betwixt Mr. Greenley and APD, I’m not alert of that.”

Police said successful a connection that Greenley suffered “medical distress” arsenic he entered nan Anchorage jail’s booking area.

Holley said that Greenley had yet to beryllium formally booked erstwhile unit rushed to thief him. She declined to talk his symptoms, saying that accusation couldn’t beryllium disclosed because of nan national Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

“Within astir 5 minutes, it was evident he was successful distress, to which our onsite aesculapian unit responded astatine nan behest of APD,” Holley said successful an email.

Anchorage Fire Department medics took complete from DOC unit astir 10 minutes afterward, Holley said. Oistad said life-saving measures were performed for much than 30 minutes earlier Greenley was declared dead. Police besides said successful a anterior connection that nan overdose-reversing supplier Narcan was administered.

Holley said Tuesday that neither Greenley nor Alaska serial slayer Joshua Wade, who died June 14 astatine an Indiana prison, are being counted by DOC arsenic in-custody deaths. 

But connected Tuesday, nan section announced nan deaths of 2 different men – Anchorage jailhouse inmate Benjamin Davis, 76, who died astir an hr aft Greenley, and Goose Creek Correctional Center inmate Steven Woodman, 63, who died Friday. Both deaths were expected by aesculapian personnel, according to Holley.

Davis and Woodman, Holley said, bring Alaska’s in-custody decease toll this twelvemonth to 10, matching nan state’s full for each of 2023. A grounds 18 group died successful DOC custody successful 2022.

DOC’s handling and reporting of inmate deaths is being independently investigated by nan ACLU of Alaska. Edge, pinch nan organization, said nan latest deaths underscore nan request for transparency from nan section and its commissioner, Jen Winkleman.

“During nan past legislative session, Commissioner Winkelman made a batch of statements to nan Legislature astir taking each of these deaths seriously,” Edge said. “These group did not dice for nary reason. They mightiness not person died astatine nan hands of different person, but we don’t cognize that.”

Edge emphasized that she did not want to instantly delegate blasted for Greenley’s death, noting that galore specifications of Wednesday’s apprehension are still not disposable to nan public.She listed immoderate of nan questions that stay unanswered.

“What was this person’s lodging business earlier they were incarcerated?” she said. “What was nan complaint that he was really being remanded on? How galore officers from some Anchorage constabulary and DOC were successful nan room erstwhile he started experiencing this aesculapian emergency? We person nary of that information.”

To Edge, Greenley’s decease highlights nan interplay among galore of Anchorage’s public-safety and mental-health concerns – arsenic good arsenic a inclination to reside them done policing and incarceration.

“What it really shows maine is that each of these issues are truthful intimately connected,” Edge said. “We person seen police violence. We’ve seen issues pinch (Anchorage constabulary officers’ body cameras). We’ve seen violence successful bum camps and a deficiency of resources for group who are not housed correct now. We’re seeing deaths successful custody.”

Edge – a erstwhile DOC spokeswoman nether Bill Walker, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s predecessor – besides raised questions astir nan section utilizing HIPAA arsenic a shield against questions astir inmate deaths.

“HIPAA does not use to dormant group nan aforesaid measurement that it applies to personification who is still alive,” she said.

Asked astir Edge’s HIPAA concerns, Holley said she had contacted an master astatine nan authorities Department of Law for greater clarity connected what DOC tin merchandise astir nan circumstances of inmates’ deaths.

“I cognize it’s an rumor and we want to beryllium arsenic transparent arsenic we perchance tin without violating anything,” Holley said.

The caller accusation connected Greenley’s decease comes arsenic APD’s erstwhile lawman chief, Sean Case, takes complete nan force nether newly inaugurated Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. In a caller interview, Case said he hoped to amended nan department’s transparency connected awesome incidents.

Edge expressed cautious optimism that communications pinch constabulary will get amended nether Case —  who cited his contacts pinch organization organizations including nan ACLU of Alaska — arsenic nan group tries to understand what happened aft Greenley’s arrest.

“There’s a work successful location somewhere,” Edge said. “Somewhere on nan line, thing did not hap that astir apt should person happened to prevention this person’s life.”