Attorneys allege the jail is at fault for not providing timely medical care

Two Monterey County Jail inmates died earlier this month after not receiving prompt medical attention for what's been described as flu-like symptoms.

David Stevens, 58, was reportedly taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to the illness within the week.   The family attorney said Stevens told him he'd filled out several slips requesting to see a jail doctor.

Two weeks later, 33 year-old Jacob Parenti also died after not receiving prompt treatment.  His sister said his condition had gotten so bad that he'd started to cough up blood.

Jail staff are dismissing that allegation, saying they think Parenti died from a drug overdose.

The death is still under investigation, according to sources within the facility, and a federal lawsuit has been filed.

Sheriff says inmate and staff safety is still a top priority

One of the biggest challenges faced by the Monterey County Jail relates to overcrowding, said Sheriff Scott Miller.  The problem is chronic and has been going on for a number of years.

The prison realignment has also spawned other challenges, especially now that higher-risk, prison savvy inmates are being housed alongside low-level offenders.

But the county has a plan.

The Monterey County Jail has reportedly been awarded $80 million in state grant funding that will be used to build housing that will accommodate 576 new beds; that project is expected to reach completion in the year 2018.

They've also asked for another $23 million, he said, which they'd like to use to build a mental health treatment unit and to add training space for vocational programs.

But for now, jail crowding brought on by the realignment is straining all their resources thin, including access to medical care and mental health services.

The county, he said, will continue to work with their medical services provider in order to resolve medical issues.  They've also hired an ombudsman, who will monitor inmate health care complaints.