The Pulaski County sheriff's office said Thursday that no jail employees face discipline in the death of an asthmatic inmate in December.
Sharon Alexander, 41, suffered a fatal asthma attack in her cell Dec. 14, a day after deputies had confiscated her inhaler under a longstanding policy that restricted inmate property.
An investigation found no criminal wrongdoing in Alexander's death.
Sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Cody Burk said Thursday that a separate administrative investigation found that jail employees had not violated any department policies in place at the time. He said no employees face punishment from the department.
Burk said the sheriff's office had no other inquiries into Alexander's death.
The sheriff's office changed its policy on inmate property after Alexander died. Since at least 1994, the jail had confiscated any inhaler for 24 hours to examine the device for contraband. Even if the jail found no contraband, it kept the inhaler until a prescription for asthma medication could be verified.
The jail's new policy instructs deputies to immediately inspect an inmate's inhaler and return the device if no contraband is found. The policy allows a prescription to be verified later.
Alexander, of Little Rock, died of acute asthma exacerbation one day after being booked in the jail on a robbery charge. Sheriff's office records show that she complained to her cellmate about her inhaler being taken away. She also reportedly called her husband and told him the jail "would not provide her with her medication."
Turn Key Health Clinics, a private corporation based in Oklahoma City, had taken over medical operations at the jail two weeks before Alexander died.
The company had not responded to a request for comment late Thursday.
Metro on 04/28/2017