RICHMOND, Va. -- The family of an inmate who died in the Richmond City Jail is heartbroken, stunned, and searching for answers. They said 37-year-old Steven Carey was the man who was found dead in his cell Wednesday morning.
“It’s just, it’s devastating," said Carla Wade, Carey's sister. “I’m in total shock honestly, because I believed he was safer in the jail. At that point in life, he was a danger to himself. He’d be safer being in the jail.”
Their shock is compounded by the feeling of uncertainty as the circumstances surrounding Carey's death remain largely unknown.
“The sergeant told me that another inmate had seen him, quote-unquote, 'looking in distress' and then seen Steven collapse and pushed a panic button or an emergency button," said Ashley Martin, Carey's ex-wife. "And they came to try to revive him and were unsuccessful. Those were his exact words."
“What happened? We don’t even know. No one will give us answers," Wade said.
Richmond Police said no foul play was suspected, and Sheriff Antionette Irving said she could not yet confirm whether drugs were involved.
Irving said Carey was administered Narcan, an overdose treatment, but Irving said medical staff can use Narcan even if a patient is not overdosing.
“Their first instinct is to administer Narcan, so they know there is a huge drug problem in there," Wade said. "How are they getting in there?”
The family said, according to calls Carey made from inside the jail, he feared for his safety there, claiming inmates would steal his food and that he was stabbed about two weeks before his death.
They said he didn't report the stabbing to jail staff due to fear of retaliation for snitching. They said he asked not to return to the pod where he was attacked but was not given a choice.
CBS 6 reached out to Sheriff Irving's office for information on the alleged stabbing incident. A jail administrator provided the following response:
"There were no incidents reported to staff by this inmate nor are there any indications that there was any incident involving this inmate or request for medical attention by this inmate while at RCJC for such injury."
The sheriff's office said when an inmate requests to be relocated or refuses a cell assignment, the protocol is for that inmate to not be assigned to such area. Additionally, staff initiate an inquiry into potential enemies and other reasons for denial of assignment.
“Locked up or not, made bad choices or not, they're still humans, and they shouldn't have to live in fear," Wade said.
Carey marked the fourth inmate to die while in custody in less than a year and the third inmate to die in just three months. In March, an inmate died from a drug overdose, but the causes of death for the other three inmates are still pending.
During a Wednesday press conference, Irving said she did not know what was at the root of the recent string of deaths but did acknowledge that drugs are a problem inside the facility, as they are elsewhere.
"We don't know if it's health reasons, we don't know if it's overdoses, but we are taking all the necessary precautions," Irving said.
The incidents come amid significant staffing shortages. Irving said she's currently down about 170 deputies which accounts for roughly half of her total sworn positions. While she said jail staff are meeting requirements for hourly checks and sweeps, she admitted that providing oversight is 'difficult' considering her staffing levels.
Carey's family said they're 'horrified' by the conditions of the jail and want to push for change, answers, and accountability in an effort to prevent future tragedies from impacting other families.
“And to help fight for the other three who lost their lives," Wade said. "Get our voices out and come together, and I mean, we're better in numbers. Fight together, stand up for each other."
Wade said, “They’re already doing their time. They’re paying their consequences. That should be enough.”
Though they said Carey struggled with mental health issues and addiction and that relations were rocky at times, their grief is profound.
That's especially true for Carey's teenage daughter, Savannah Carey.
“I don't know how to feel. Last time I talked to him, I was kind of mean, so I just wish that I was nicer. Just wish I got to tell him I loved him again," Carey said. "And it just sucks that that's what happened to him while he was in there. It shouldn't have happened. His life mattered. God put him here for a reason.”
She added, "Why him? It's not fair. He was a bad person sometimes, but he was good."
