Families of inmates who died at JeffCo Jail believe there's a concerning pattern

Members of the Rocky Mountain NAACP spoke alongside families of inmates who have recently died within the Jefferson County Jail during a press conference on Monday, calling attention to what they believe are concerning issues regarding medical care inside the jail.

There have been three deaths at the jail since December 2023, and civil rights attorney Anita Springsteen sees similarities between them.

Ashley Raisbeck died in December 2023. Courtney Tinker died three months later in March 2024. Doraine Stangel died this month.

“What stands out to me is how little time these folks are spending in the jail before they pass away," Springsteen said. “The story seems to be told in a similar way every time, it doesn't seem to deviate that much. And that's suspicious to me.”

Springsteen said all three women died just a few days into their time at the jail.

"They were human beings. They had value. They had people who loved them," Springsteen said during the press conference. “They had hope. Their families had hope that they would get better, and they could have gotten better. This jail and this sheriff and this county took away their hope forever.”

Watch the full press conference in the video below:

Full news conference: NAACP, families speak out on inmate deaths at Jeffco jail

Doraine Stangel died at 48 years old, according to her oldest child, Felicia Paz.

“She had the biggest heart out of everyone I knew. Even when she was struggling and she was down and out, she always put other people first, which is why I think she was so lost," Paz told Denver7. “She was a single mom for many years. She struggled immensely to make ends meet, and she always put me and my brothers first."

Paz said her mother was arrested in early August with one of her brothers.

“According to my brother, a porter — someone who cleans the jail cells — had said that she was screaming for help and water," Paz said. “She never made it into detox protocol. She never made it out of a booking cell.”

Stangel struggled with substance use disorder at the time of her arrest, Paz said. Her mother was working to get better.

"She was struggling, but she just needed help," Paz said. “I haven't been able to process anything. It's a lot, and it becomes more surreal every day.”

Paz wants to help enact change surrounding medical care in Colorado jails.

“I never want to see a family go through this again," Paz said. “I want it to stop, and I want them to take accountability for their actions because God knows they made me take accountability for mine. They made my brothers take accountability for theirs. They've made my mom, over and over and over, and it cost her life. And I want them to take accountability for it, and I want it to stop.”

In a statement to Denver7, a spokesperson with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said in part, "We want to assure the public that the safety, security, and well-being of all individuals in our custody are of the utmost importance to us." The statement continued, "We acknowledge the gravity of the issues raised and are fully committed to upholding our responsibility to the community and those in our custody."

Full statement:

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office extends its deepest sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones during incarceration. We understand the profound sorrow that accompanies the loss of life.

We want to assure the public that the safety, security, and well-being of all individuals in our custody are of the utmost importance to us. The Sheriff's Office is committed to continuously reviewing and improving our procedures to ensure that every inmate receives the necessary and appropriate medical care. We are working closely with healthcare professionals to address any concerns and to maintain the highest standards of care within the facility.

We acknowledge the gravity of the issues raised and are fully committed to upholding our responsibility to the community and those in our custody. Each of these deaths represents a different and complex medical situation and are not indicative of a widespread problem. In addition to our proactive work to safeguard the lives of inmates in our custody, every in-custody death in our facility undergoes a rigorous independent investigation by the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), which is led by the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Denver7 asked the JCSO spokesperson about the number of in-custody deaths recorded in 2023 and so far in 2024. Last year, four inmates died out of 16,024 people who crossed through the jail. So far in 2024, two deaths have been reported out of 9,558 inmates who have been at the jail.

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