After San Diego County resident Daniel Sisson was tried in court for a drug possession charge, he and his mom expected that he would be released after he posted his San Diego bail bond. However, since 21-year-old Sisson had been on probation from an earlier conviction for similar charges, he was taken into custody to the Vista Detention Facility. According to CityBeat, just two days after Sisson's arrest, jail officials found Sisson dead in his jail cell. Investigators were later able to determine his death was a result of asphyxiation from an acute asthma attack. One of the main contributors to his asthma attack was reported to be heroin withdrawal, as well as a small amount of methamphetamine.

Sisson's death raised a few points regarding the treatment of inmates with substance abuse issues. According to the source, there have been a total of 60 deaths that have occurred in San Diego jails between 2007 and 2012. The county has the highest mortality rate of California's 10 largest jail systems, and Sisson's was one of 11 deaths in 2011.

The deaths will continue unless action is taken
Marc Stern, a correctional-healthcare consultant and former health services director for the Washington State Department of Corrections, told the source something needs to be done in order to avoid cases like Sisson's and the 59 others that passed away behind bars.

"Somebody who has some other disease, where the stress of withdrawal could make that disease worse, definitely deserves closer monitoring," he said. "So, if you know somebody has asthma, and they're going to go through withdrawal, yes, you have an obligation to monitor them more closely."

Several other deaths reported in San Diego County jails were also concerning, as many people with drug dependence are treated as criminals in the court of law rather than treated for their problems. Sisson's mother Shaunda Brummette, who recently filed a lawsuit against the county, said that the fact that Daniel told law enforcement officials he wasn't abusing heroin, he had a history of asthma attacks and substance abuse while previously in jail, which should have been taken into consideration after his booking. While there's no way to determine whether a visual safety check would have saved Sisson's life, she insists something needs to be done.