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Another death at SLO County Jail

January 24, 2017
Sheriff Ian Parkinson

Sheriff Ian Parkinson

A 36-year-old Atascadero man awaiting transfer to a county mental health facility died at the San Luis Obispo County Jail on Sunday, according to county personnel.

Deputies discovered Andrew Chaylon Holland, 36, of Atascadero unconscious and unresponsive in his cell. Holland has been in jail since Sept. 30, 2015.

San Luis Obispo police arrested Holland for resisting arrest with force, battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, battery and a probation violation.

Deputies housed Holland in a glass observation cell in the jail because he had been striking and inflicting injury upon himself. According to the sheriff department, deputies were checking on Holland every 15 minutes.

During the past four years, there have been a string of deaths at the jail. In 2014, three men died in county custody, primarily because of medical issues. In both 2015 and 2016, two San Luis Obispo County inmates died.


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In many facilities, a person who is at risk of self harm are what is called a 1:1. That is, one staff to one inmate/patient. I wonder if the county jail has a policy on this. If someone is at risk to hurt themselves, even 15 minute checks is not enough.


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L.A.RamsFan, where do you find that the state says suicide is a felony?

PC 401. Every person who deliberately aids, or advises, or encourages another to commit suicide is guilty of a felony.


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Thanks for that. Let me recheck my facts…


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You’re absolutely right, I misread the penal code and I apologize. The only thing a person who “attempts” suicide is liable to face is a “5150” determination by the LOE who would determine he or she …” to have a mental disorder that makes him or her a danger to self, a danger to others, and/or gravely disabled.” Then I believe it becomes not a criminal charge but a civil commitment.


Thanks for pointing that out…


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condolences to the family


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“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.”


― Fyodor Dostoyevsky


Shameful and obscene. Says much about how life is valued in SLO County and the rest of the US writ large. Condolences to his family and friends…


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“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.”


― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Ahhhh

But first one must enter all prisons or there is no reference point for judgement.


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And exactly how would you have handled this? Remember their is a budget and only so much can be done.


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I guess we would start at the top of the ladder and save the scraps for the lowest wrung… Yea, the good ol’ Republican American Way!


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Sounds like society is a winner on this one.


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You Betcha! Especially in the “Happiest Place on Earth” where suspects and the still accused are criminals and the mentally ill are no better than the aforementioned…


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I am more concerned about criminal deaths outside of jail. Self destructive people are impossible to stop. The common issue with them is that they usually don’t wander off where the news can’t report their activity. This behavior in or out of the jail, in my opinion, is not news worthy to avoid promoting copy cats.


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F*** Me! You can’t be that apathetic, can you?! Self destructive people can be helped (stopped) but only if you embrace the notion that they are worry of that help, something you seem to attest to not feeling.


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Funny. Apathy to self destructive behavior these past 50 years has put us in this situation. So yes. I and likely Mr. Estrada are THAT apathetic.


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So, we just let those who want to kill themselves just do so and maybe even provide them with a cozy jail cell to facilitate it? Well, even though in SLO you’d win that argument the state still says suicide is a felony and providing the space in which to do so would be considered aiding and abetting a felon.


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Have you ever known anyone that’s mentally ill? I’m talking severely mentally ill? You believe that those that are mentally ill enjoy and really want to do the things you call “self destructive behavior?” Did you know Drew? Let me guess – NO. If you ever have the misfortune of something awful happening to you that is out of your control, I hope all those around you are completely apathetic to you and your needs.


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Even your health plan has a limit on how much will spend on you. Sometimes we need to consider the needs of others when there are limits. We need to help those who want to help themselves first. Sure I care about the skewed victims but to some extent we neglect the ready and willing others by doings so. Life is not always gentle, as I know very well and would want better for others. If you are in jail then empathy becomes a victim too, in my opinion.


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I don’t know where you’re originally from Mr. Estrada (you stated in a previous post you were a naturalized citizen of this Country) and it’s really none of my business but if you would like to see the effects of that type of apathy on a culture and a country may I suggest….


https://www.ovguide.com/american-federale-9202a8c04000641f800000003edcd1dd


Now, its intention is to show an out of control justice system but in it’s contents it also reveals the victims of the type of apathy you appear to show…


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Methinks Mr. LARams has a beef with law enforcement for some reason. Holland did this to himself … and being inside the jail or not… it likely made little difference.


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Have you ever spent a great amount of time in county? Do you know how they were treating him? No, you don’t. And “it likely made little difference.” Talking about someone like you have any idea who they are and what they were experiencing…. who the fuck do you think YOU are? Some guy behind a computer making a judgmental comment based on very little fact, that’s who.


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You don’t have to “methinks” anything, sport! I do have a “beef” with law some enforcement, especially with those that would empower people like you to think this was in any way Mr. Holland’s fault. And it ain’t from “some reason”! No, it’s from some very direct a palpable “experiences” within that world. You got any?


It should have made a difference, a big fucking difference! The custody deputies at the county jail are not only there to keep these guy and gals under control and off the streets but their there to protect them as well, especially from themselves!


And in a glass room to boot? What the hell?!! Yea, another high paid babysitter(s) not qualified to sit in on themselves let alone another human being!


The SLO way of life can be deadly for some…


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Whooops! That should have been “with some law enforcement”…


Oh well, better makin’ a mistake on the keyboard then on an empty brain container…


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Right… because there are totally going to be copy cats. It’s not as if those that have gone to county jail, mentally ill or not, haven’t banged their heads walls or try to hurt themselves before. It is a big deal when something like this happens, especially in a small county jail. Like I asked someone else, did you know Drew? Do you know what was going on in there when all of this happened? Do you know how he was being treated? Do you know what he was experiencing? Of course not! I’m sorry you feel that a very mentally ill person being monitored in a glass room (and why wasn’t he put in a padded cell, because they have those there) all of a sudden dying isn’t newsworthy to you. Life isn’t always gentle, as you said, and Drew’s severe mental illness was exact opposite of gentle. It was harsh, abrupt, and took everything he could have had in his future away from him.


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Saves taxpayer money.


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And when you die, it’ll save a lot of people from having to share their lives with someone like you.


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