2 deaths

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RivCo Jail Deaths in 2026:

2 deaths • RivCo Jail Deaths in 2026:

Riverside Sheriff Accountability Coalition

The Riverside Sheriff Accountability Coalition (RSAC) is a diverse alliance of community organizations, activists, faith leaders, families, and everyday residents committed to ending unchecked abuses of power by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Our mission is rooted in a simple yet urgent demand: sheriff transparency, accountability, and justice for every resident in Riverside County.

For too long, the Sheriff’s Department has operated completely unchecked, racking up millions of dollars in lawsuits, committing egregious civil rights violations, and allowing dozens of preventable deaths in our jails while escaping oversight. We say enough is enough. The people deserve better.

Our coalition came together after years of witnessing patterns of misconduct, racial profiling, in-custody deaths, and a total lack of transparency in disciplinary actions. With each case we hear, each family we support, and every public record we uncover, our resolve to shine a light on a system that thrives on silence and fear grows stronger.

We are not anti-law enforcement - we are pro-accountability. Proper public safety requires trust, and trust begins with truth.

Featured
38-year-old inmate dies in custody at Southern California jail

A 38-year-old inmate died in custody following a medical emergency at a Southern California jail, authorities announced Wednesday.

Corrections staff and jail medical personnel responded to one of the day rooms at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta after deputies reported the emergency Tuesday, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

In-Custody Death Under Investigation As Apparent Suicide

A 19-year-old inmate found unresponsive inside a housing cell at the Robert Presley Detention Center died in an apparent suicide, authorities announced Friday.

Felon dies in custody, circumstances under investigation

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) - A 46-year-old felon awaiting trial on arson and other charges died in his jail cell in Banning today, but authorities said there was no indication of foul play.   

FAC Represents Investigative Journalist and New York Times in Public Records Act Lawsuit Against Riverside County

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — The First Amendment Coalition has filed a lawsuit against Riverside County for violating state law by refusing to release public records and information sought by investigative journalist Christopher Damien about deaths in jail custody.

“When people die in the government’s custody, their relatives and the public have the right to review the government’s investigation of that death,” said Damien. “The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has withheld details about these investigations for far too long. California law is clear: These are public records.”

Oversight: Riverside County Groups Fight for Justice

Families of people who died in Riverside County jails are pushing for independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Department, while pointing to over $100 million in taxpayer-funded settlements and a disturbing surge of in-custody deaths.

One answer activists with the Riverside Sheriff’s Accountability Coalition (RSAC) are pushing, is the plan to skip the Board of Supervisors entirely, and go straight for a ballot initiative and the community to force real change.

Truth matters: Oversight is not pro-criminal, it is justice for all

“Truth matters”—at least that’s what Sheriff Bianco claimed last week when he dismissed oversight as “pro-criminal.” But the truth he refuses to face is the one Riverside County lives with every day: a sheriff who smears grieving families as “anti-law enforcement,” dismisses data when it doesn’t serve him. While he denies and distorts reality: every Riverside County resident is still living with the fallout of leading the nation in in-custody deaths in 2022, and the continuing deaths, lawsuits, and misconduct that show how deeply the system is failing.

Riverside County social justice groups will take sheriff’s oversight proposal to voters

The groups are 'united by the simple belief that public safety must be accountable to the public it serves,' said one activist

Despite repeated community requests, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors has refused to act, choosing instead to align with the Sheriff’s Association—an entity that heavily funds four out of five supervisors’ campaigns. Even a
Today @riversideallofusornone & @startingoverstrong_ in alignment with RSAC, announce a historic move: the filing of a Notice of Intent to place an independent Sheriff’s Oversight Committee initiative on the 2026 ballot. This coalition is j
NO MORE DEATHS - OVERSIGHT NOW! On the International Day against Police Brutality, join RSAC for a rally and vigil in downtown Riverside. We're honoring our loved ones who have died in custody and calling for real accountability and oversight.
Who’s really surprised? 4/5 sitting Supervisors have received nearly $400,000 from the Riverside Sheriffs Association. It’s no coincidence this is why they continuously ignore the voices of 10,000+ constituents calling for sheriff account
At yesterday’s meeting, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors made it abundantly clear that they work for the abusive, corrupt Sheriff’s department, not their constituents. Three new in custody deaths have have occurred and another s
CALL TO ACTION: JOIN US TUESDAY! Less than one month after Riverside Supervisors rejected Sup. Medina’s recommendation toward sheriff oversight, two more of our community members have died in custody, and yet another sheriff has been arrested f
Read our statement on Tuesday's disappointing Board of Supervisors meeting above. We're beyond disappointed by the supervisors who chose not to advance sheriff oversight measures - AND placed severe limitations on our community members's speech. Ou