Mississippi inmate’s death last week was 76th in 2018

PARCHMAN, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi Department of Corrections says another inmate died in custody last week, the 76th to perish behind bars in 2018, according to an unofficial count.

The Clarion Ledger reported Thursday that 23-year-old Ricardo K. West was declared dead after being found unresponsive in his cell at the Mississippi State Penitentiary.

MDOC spokeswoman Grace Fisher says West’s cause of death is pending an autopsy. She says he was serving time on charges including armed carjacking.

Fisher says an official count is pending. Sixteen inmates died in MDOC custody in August 2018 alone, and Commissioner Pelicia Hall has said a majority of those were due to natural causes.

___

Information from: The Clarion Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)