DISEASE, DESPAIR, DRUGS: HOW INMATES ARE DYING IN FLORIDA

In Florida’s corrections system, death comes in many forms — disease, despair, drugs and violence.

Over the last decade, at least 4,000 inmates have died in a Florida jail or prison, according to the Florida Department of Corrections inmate mortality data and unredacted in-custody death reports obtained by USA TODAY from the U.S. Department of Justice.

An analysis of these mortality records revealed that “natural deaths” — the state’s broad catch-all category for illnesses — dominate. But within those numbers, patterns in suicides, overdoses and homicides exist, along with unanswered questions about cases still under investigation.