No Sunshine on In-Custody Deaths in Sunshine State
A report published by the Ocala Gazette on January 22, 2025, counted 23 deaths since 2020 of people in the custody of Florida’s Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO). Yet the state Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) had recorded just seven of those deaths, according to data that it reported to the federal Department of Justice (DOJ).
The discrepancy apparently stemmed from a decision by Sheriff Billy Woods to report only those deaths that resulted from use of force by staff at the County lockup. FDLE, in turn, then forwarded the same report—or rather underreport—to DOJ, whose Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) was then hamstrung in carrying out performance measurements of federal grants that MCSO received.
Unfortunately, it was all technically legitimate, since the rules allow Sheriffs to self-police in this way. Even though Quality Assurance Reports prepared by Registered Nurse Mary McCoy noted concerns about timely medical care for detainees, MCSO was able to provide details for just three of those who died in custody, citing a records retention policy that ends a year after a detainee’s release—and yes, the Sheriff’s office said that it counted death as “release.”
In neighboring Sumter County, no federal grants were requested over the 2019-2024 period. That meant that the office of former Sheriff Bill Farmer made no reports to FDLE, which reported nothing to DOJ. Under newly elected Sheriff Pat Breeden, the department said it could not comply with the Gazette’s records request because its systems had been unavailable since an August 2024 ransomware attack.
Source: Ocala Gazette
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