Inmate Found Dead at Cibola County Correctional Center

MILAN, N.M. — An inmate at the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, New Mexico, was found dead in his cell this week, triggering an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the death. The incident, which took place on a quiet Tuesday night, has cast a spotlight on the facility that has been the subject of scrutiny and controversy for several years.

According to Ryan Gustin, Director of Public Affairs for Core Civic, the company that operates the facility, staff members were alerted to the emergency by inmates. They discovered the individual unresponsive and initiated a medical code, calling in both the emergency response team and medical staff to assist. Despite their efforts, the inmate was pronounced dead at the facility. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released as the investigation continues.

“Responding staff found an unresponsive individual in an assigned cell with other inmates attempting to provide life-saving efforts,” Gustin said in a statement, “A medical code was called, and the emergency response team and medical staff immediately responded to assist this individual.”

CoreCivic is investigating the inmate death.

The Cibola County Correctional Center has been a focal point of controversy due to its role in housing not only local inmates but also U.S. Marshal Service inmates and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees. This has led to increased scrutiny over the conditions and treatment of detainees within the facility.

Recent legislative efforts aimed at reforming detention practices in New Mexico have brought additional attention to the facility. The proposed 'Dignity Not Detention' bill, officially titled 'No Detaining for Fed Immigration Violations,' seeks to prevent local and state governments from contracting with private detention facilities that house ICE detainees. While the bill has faced obstacles in the legislature, it underscores the ongoing debate over immigration detention practices and the treatment of inmates and detainees in facilities like the Cibola County Correctional Center.

The facility has a history of incidents and allegations of neglect, particularly among ICE detainees. Several detainees have died under suspicious circumstances, all of which Core-Civic has addressed even when their narrative did not fit that of private coroners, and there have been reports of abuse and denial of proper medical care, especially among transgender detainees. These incidents have prompted investigations and calls for change from advocacy groups and legislators alike.

The inmate death at CCCC is currently under investigation.