Man’s death inside Cumberland County Jail is Maine’s 9th in-custody death in 2022
By Terry Stackhouse
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PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) — A man’s death inside the Cumberland County Jail represents at least the ninth death inside a Maine correctional facility so far in 2022, according to data from the Maine Department of Corrections.
The number already exceeds last year’s total of eight in-custody deaths.
The man who died was identified Monday as James Mannion, 30, of Portland.
Mannion worked locally as a barber and leaves behind two young daughters.
Relatives who spoke with 8 Investigates say they were informed by jail leadership that an overdose is the suspected cause of death.
The Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.
The Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition says they want accountability for yet another in-custody death.
“This person had a job and interacted with people on a regular basis in their community. They had people who cared about them,” said Jan Collins, the group’s assistant director.
According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Mannion was found unresponsive in his cell around 6 a.m. Sunday.
The agency said first responders attempted to save his life but were unsuccessful.
“We should be treating medical issues outside of the jail and not criminalizing them,” Collins said, in reference to advocacy work to move treatment for incarcerated people with substance use disorders out of the jail setting.
Mannion had been in jail since December, according to the sheriff’s office, for drug possession charges, violations of conditions of release and failure to appear.
Asked to provide the cause of death for Mannion as well as other incarcerated people, the Maine Department of Corrections told 8 Investigates they will not share confidential information about residents, including protected health information.
8 Investigates asked the state medical examiner’s office for the causes of death of four other incarcerated people who died recently.
A spokesperson said the cases we mentioned are pending further studies and that investigations can take up to three months.
“If there are no open investigations, information may be released. Only certain information may be released,” said spokesperson Lindsey Chasteen.
Mannion’s loved ones and prison reform advocates want to know exactly what happened inside the jail and why.
“They are human beings and they deserve our care and understanding,” Collins said.
Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce declined an interview, citing the open investigation.
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