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Man serving at Donaldson prison dies

Jonathan Click, 33, was found unresponsive by prison staff. He’s the latest in at least four recent deaths of incarcerated people in Alabama.

William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Jefferson County. Google Earth

A man serving at the Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer died on Tuesday, the Alabama Department of Corrections confirmed to APR

Jonathan Click, 33, was found unresponsive by prison staff and was declared dead, ADOC spokeswoman Kristi Simpson told APR in a message. 

“There are no immediate signs of foul play. His exact cause of death is pending a full autopsy,” Simpson said. 

Bill Yates, chef deputy coroner with the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, in a press release said Click was found unresponsive laying on his bed inside a two-man cell at 4:15 a.m. on Tuesday, and was pronounced dead just less than an hour later. 

Click’s death is the latest of several prisoner deaths in recent days. Brian Sullivan, 50, died in Donaldson prison’s infirmary on Oct. 26, where he was being treated for advanced terminal illness, according to ADOC. 

Sandra Franks Hawkins, 44, was unresponsive in her bed at a Birmingham women’s prison on Halloween night and died that night, according to the county coroner and ADOC. 

Hawkins was taken to a local hospital but was later pronounced dead, Simpson told APR in a message. Her death is also being investigated by ADOC and the exact cause of death is pending an autopsy. 

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Shelton Lorenz Foster, 68, was being treated in Donaldson prison’s infirmary for “multiple significant natural diseases” when he was transferred to UAB Hospital on Oct. 13 for treatment, the release states. He died at the hospital on Monday. An examination will be performed to determine the cause of death, the coroner’s office said.

Eddie Burkhalter is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can email him at [email protected] or reach him via Twitter.

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