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Justin Cofield, 33 of Steelton, began his sentence on Aug. 31, 2023, and was pronounced dead within the prison at 10:08 a.m. on Feb. 23, Dauphin County officials detailed in the release.
DCP officials were called to a medical emergency on I Block at 9:33 a.m. Cofield was found unresponsive in his bunk, lying on his stomach, a correctional officer explained as EMS arrived. EMS made life-saving attempts, but ultimately the coroner was called.
An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday, Coroner Graham Hetrick said.
Dauphin County Criminal Investigations Division and DCP Internal Affairs are investigating.
Cofield was a known drug dealer who had just entered a plea deal on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 2024, court records show. He was serving time for multiple, mainly drug-related offenses, concurrently. He was expected to begin 6 months to two years of probation upon release, as detailed in his latest dockets.
Justin was a father who is survived by his children and extended family who will miss him deeply, according to social media.
Daily Voice has reached out to members of his family to express our condolences.
On Feb. 27 a GoFundMe was launched to help his family, which "four children, ages, 13, 9, 7 and 3," Patrice Randolph wrote on the campaign page adding that "he was dedicated to his family, had a great sense of humor and was known to be a comedian."
Additional details about his life were not immediately available. Cofield's family is welcome to email any photos, statements, details about the funeral or memorials in his memory, or fundraisers related to his tragic death to jpikora@dailyvoice.com.
This is the fourth death of an inmate in a Pennsylvania prison that Daily Voice has reported on since the start of 2024. Click here to read about a dad who died of a medical issue within the same prison, click here to read about a Monroe County inmate who fell to her death, or click here to read about a diehard KISS fan who died in the York County Prison on Feb. 20.
Click here to donate to the GoFundMe.
Editor's Note: This has been updated to include some details shared by Justin's family. Additional updates are expected so check back here.
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