Corrections Sec. Says He Was Not Provided Details On Death During Visit
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – One day after the Department of Corrections Secretary Mike Crews visited South Florida and vowed to get answers after the death of an inmate, the Secretary said he will investigate a second death.
The second death occurred while he was reportedly visiting the Dade Correctional Institution Thursday and the Secretary said he was not even notified while at the facility.
Secretary Crews said in a press release that he is more outraged to learn of inconsistent reporting and a failure to fully inform on the events surrounding an inmate death that occurred the same day as his visit.
Secretary Crews said, "It is astonishing that the same day I was visiting Dade Correctional, another inmate was reported dead in a manner we now learn is the subject of an ongoing FDLE investigation due to conflicting information and reports. At 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, I was notified that an inmate had died while "housed in [the] infirmary." Late in the evening, I received word that the circumstances surrounding his death were the subject of an FDLE investigation related to reports of a possible fall while in the infirmary. The fact that I did not have the full picture of this recent inmate death at the time of my visit to the facility is simply alarming. It was both Warden Jerry Cummings' and Deputy Warden Royce Dyke's responsibility to notify us of every available detail related to the death – and they failed to do so. As of yesterday, Cummings was placed on administrative leave, and today, Dykes officially retired from state government – and their failure to fully inform me of the circumstances around this death is outrageous. We will use this as a clear example of the issues that need to be fixed at the Department."
The Department of Corrections will conduct a full review of the death along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the assistance of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
A preliminary report of the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner indicates the inmate died as a result of natural causes.
Crews said he wants to know more about an inmate, 50-year old Darren Rainy, who died in 2012 after being scalded in a hot shower in which prison guards reportedly had control.
Reportedly he had begged for mercy before being declared dead.
"We will seek out the bad apples," said Crews at a press conference Thursday.
READ: Prison Chief To Assess Scalding Shower Death
Crews said that he would push for the Miami-Dade Police to find answers and conclude the 2-year old case.
The investigation will go on without Rainy's body. It was cremated and the ashes were given to his family nearly two years ago. The focus will now seemingly be on the paper trail investigation.
Crews announced that the warden of the facility was put on paid administrative leave, but he said that the move was not a direct consequence of the inmate's death.
Crews said that the move was "part of our overall leadership evaluation at Dade Correctional Institution."
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