Arlington County Sheriff Beth Arthur says she will not be seeking reelection next year. The first female sheriff in Arlington and in the state announced her decision in a statement released this morning. She has presided as Arlington
This comes after four inmates died in the month of February at the facility, of which three died for various health reasons. However, inmate health has long been an issue since before the pandemic began.
In 2018, the Department of Justice concluded a years-long investigation that found that there was reasonable cause to believe that the jail failed to provide constitutionally adequate medical and mental health care to prisoners.
Less than a year ago in August 2020, the DOJ and the jail reached an agreement to provide better medical and mental health care for inmates. Part of the agreement includes increased staffing, providing better medical screening and creating specialized mental health housing for inmates, and more.