OGDEN, Utah (AP) — Civil liberties advocates have vowed to push for mandatory jail inspections after a series of Utah county jails deaths.
The Standard-Examiner reports the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah also wants to see remedies being enforced when prison standards are not met.
The move comes after the Standard-Examiner published data which showed that 23 people died in county jails last year. Since 2005, there have been 147 statewide jail deaths.
According to a U.S. Bureau of Justice statistic, Utah is the leading state in county jail deaths per capita. While there are voluntary jail inspections in place, the ACLU says they are not enough.
The ACLU is also considering a campaign against jail deaths that may include possible legal action, legislative lobbying and community education.