Custodial deaths refer to deaths that occur in custody; officers may be blamed if they know of risk and fail to act or withhold medical care.

• A. Deaths that occur after an inmate is released.
• B. Deaths that occur while in the custody of the jail/prison.
• C. Deaths due to natural causes outside the facility.
• D. Deaths caused by a visitor.

Answer: (B)

Custodial deaths are deaths that happen while a person is in the custody of a jail, prison, or other detention facility. The important idea is the setting and the duty of care that staff owe to people in custody. When officers or jail staff know someone is at risk or is in medical distress and fail to act or withhold needed medical care, they can be held accountable for neglect or deliberate indifference, because they are responsible for safeguarding the health and safety of individuals under their control. This distinguishes custodial deaths from events outside custody—such as after an inmate is released, or deaths that occur outside the facility or are caused by a visitor—since those scenarios involve a different duty of care and setting.