Putnamville inmate death investigated

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
SIMPSON

The death of a Putnamville Correctional Facility inmate is under investigation.

Jason M. Simpson, 26, of Indianapolis was pronounced dead at 4:50 a.m. Monday at Putnam County Hospital, a release from Putnamville Correctional Facility Public Information Officer Alisia Lawrence said.

Officers from Putnamville's Internal Affairs Division and the Indiana State Police are investigating Simpson's death.

"The cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy has been completed by the Vigo County coroner," Lawrence's release said.

Simpson was convicted of Class B felony armed robbery in November, while already serving a sentence for a December 2002 charge of Class C felony carrying a handgun without a license. He was sentenced in January on two additional counts, Class D felony resisting law enforcement and Class A misdemeanor possession of marijuana/hashish. He received a one-year sentence for each of those counts.

The Indiana Department of Corrections Web site lists Simpson's earliest possible release date at Aug. 17, 2009. Lawrence said in her release Simpson's projected release date was Nov. 4, 2010.

"Any loss of life is a tragic event. My sympathies go out to Mr. Simpson's family," said Putnamville Superintendent Michael J. Osburn.

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  • You may not be feeding hem anymore but more money will come out of your pocket when the family tries to "get rich" off this and sues over something

    -- Posted by mad-mom on Wed, May 28, 2008, at 8:37 AM
  • When they try to get rich, it will be no different than paying someone who is on disability and out playing golf everyday. The government won't stop any abuse of taxpayers monies. Yes, they'll sue, they'll be awarded big bucks (even if it turns up as his own fault or natural causes) and they'll go on and we'll continue to keep paying!!!!Ah, you gotta love the government.

    -- Posted by cty-govt-a-muck on Fri, May 30, 2008, at 10:40 AM
  • Somebody lost their life and all I see are snide comments. He was 26 years old.People make mistakes. No one should judge. Have respect for the family.

    -- Posted by citizenoftheworld on Sat, May 31, 2008, at 12:53 PM
  • Even though someone was locked up for their mistakes, it's still very sad they lost their life.Why pick on someone who isn't around anymore?That's cold as can be.Give respect to his family.Think about how they feel right now.I know my heart goes out to them.Everyone makes mistakes,some pay for them and some do not.Regardless, those people are stuck with regrets everyday.They don't need it thrown back in their face after it's all said and done.When they've served their time, help build their life back up instead of reminding them of their past life."When you wake up everyday,you're given a new day to make things better."

    -- Posted by what_it's_worth on Tue, Jun 3, 2008, at 10:14 PM
  • Jason was a very kind hearted individual that would do anything for the the people that he cared for. He made a mistake. That doesnt mean that he deserves to die at 26. No one deserves an untimely death by the hand of someone else. This is an investigation and will be handled appropriately. A little boy lost his father and a mother and father lost as son. HAVE SOME RESPECT!

    For the record, the family only seeks justice and no monetary award. No amount of money can replace him or take away the pain.

    The Family of Jason M. Simpson

    -- Posted by thefamily on Fri, Jun 20, 2008, at 9:59 PM
  • I have not heard from my daughters father Ryan Patrick Holt #995357 in over 1 month. It is bad enough worrying over why I have not heard from him,but to now find out someone has lost their life makes me wonder & worry more. What is going on in that facility? How are our loved ones being treated? If anyone out there can, PLEASE tell him to write home so we know that he is okay. Thanks to anyone that can get this message thru. I am sooo sorry for the family of Jason, i will put them on my prayer list & I am offering my condolences to them. Thank You pjfromky

    -- Posted by Pjfromky on Sat, Jul 19, 2008, at 7:03 PM
  • I don't like the accusatory tone people are using. Good men and women work in that facility risking their lives to watch the scum of the earth that no one else wants to deal with. Prisoners are treated with just as much respect as they give. And its people saying things like " oh he just made a couple mistakes, a little boy is without his father." that is only making excuses for these people. Maybe his son would still have a father if his father would have given a second thought about his son before commiting those "mistakes" or as real people describe them, CRIMES! Now I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation for this mans death. Maybe you should be thinking about the thousands of other inmates in there instead of blaming the C.O.'s. And maybe keep an open mind about this whole situation instead of letting your grief let you say irrational things.

    -- Posted by wickedawesometiffony on Sun, Jan 11, 2009, at 5:40 PM
  • I was there,... the guards let him go, die. They said he was faking, the same in another death when a guy was having a seizure. They found the guy who gave him the heroin (or synthetic heroin that flows through that place) in Jason's rack and told him to get back to his own and didn't question him because they knew they would be responsible for allowing movement after the lights were out. That place also has a ready supply of meclizine prescribed for nausea,hmmm... I found that very weird. Not everybody in there is horrible. I was sent there instead of level 1 for a driving offense because i asked for a sleeping pill in RDC. They said I needed to be observed> Whatever. It is horrible how that place is run. A homosexual assigns jobs and it is well known that closed door favors are given for the better jobs. Guards laugh about it, inmates despise it, no fair assignment system. Sex with guards, tobacco everywhere, cell phones, guards bring in pay-as-you-go-phones and then have families and gang members mail them lots of cash to recharge it for them. The inmates recharge them with batteries. That place is ran by McGuyvers. Also, guards have buddies to bring their cars in to be worked on in the automechanic school with ashtrays and trunks full of stuff, tobacco, drugs, whatever. Guess who unloads it and profits from it? Inmates and guards, respectively. I have seen sodomy occur over $400 worth of guard brought in tobacco that could be bought at the store for about $7.00. It's a sick, sick place for minor crimes. Its a corrupt racket the prison system is, for all involved. I was there for a short time and several died.

    -- Posted by JackFrost on Tue, Mar 30, 2010, at 6:23 PM
  • JackFrost, I thank you for your bravery. I know of things that are as you say. Things are in the process of bringing a STOP to all of the madness. I know that this is a very difficult postion for you but I am asking for you help to bring down all involved from TOP TO BOTTOM.

    -- Posted by SAMSUNG on Mon, Jun 28, 2010, at 1:14 AM
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