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The unidentified 53-year-old woman passed away following a "medicinal incident" less than 24 hours after entering the jail, Acting Warden Shane T. Dady said.
The woman was still in the Allegheny County Jail intake department when she passed. She was brought in on a felony possession charge on Friday, Sept. 13.
A "medical emergency" was called in the department at approximately 7:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 14. "Jail healthcare staff attempted lifesaving measures until paramedics arrived and took over," as stated in the release, but ultimately she was declared deceased at 7:56 a.m.
“We offer our condolences to the deceased and their family,” Dady said. “We have invested time and effort to assess our processes in intake and throughout the facility to identify and provide care to those who are most vulnerable. We will continue striving to provide the best possible care to our residents.”
County police and an internal review are being conducted. The woman's name, cause, and manner of death, will be released following the autopsy by the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner.
County Executive Sara Innamorato offered the following statement regarding the woman's sudden death:
“I want to offer my condolences to the friends and family of the woman who passed away at the Allegheny County Jail this morning. While the Allegheny County Jail has made strides to improve intake procedures and medical care, there is still more work to do. The county will conduct an investigation of the incident, and we will continue to seek improvements so incarcerated individuals, who are often medically vulnerable and suffering from multiple comorbidities, receive the highest level of care possible.”
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