OAKLAND, Calif. — The death of a 36-year-old Oakland woman who was found unresponsive at Santa Rita Jail and died nine days later has renewed concerns about medical care, suicide prevention and accountability at the Alameda County facility, where 80 deaths have been reported since 2014.
Jessica Watson died Oct. 22 after being found unresponsive in her cell Oct. 13 with what appeared to be a ligature around her neck. She was transported to a hospital and subsequently released from custody while hospitalized.
The official cause of death remains under investigation, but the circumstances have raised questions about the jail’s mental health services, suicide prevention procedures and response to medical emergencies.
The Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) issued a statement condemning Watson’s death and demanding immediate action from Alameda County officials, including Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez and the Board of Supervisors.
According to the organization, five deaths have been connected to Santa Rita Jail in 2026, including one that the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office initially failed to count.
That case involved Antoine Emel Dewhitt, a 40-year-old Oakland resident who died in May after experiencing a medical emergency following his incarceration at Santa Rita Jail.
The Sheriff’s Office acknowledged that Dewhitt’s death had not been included in its count until his sister came forward seeking answers, raising additional concerns about how deaths involving people transferred from the jail to hospitals are documented and reported.
The two cases have intensified questions about whether the county adequately tracks deaths associated with incarceration and whether families receive timely information about the circumstances surrounding their loved ones’ deaths.
Cat Brooks, co-founder and executive director of APTP, described the continuing deaths as evidence of a broader failure to protect incarcerated people.
“Eighty people have died since 2014. Five this year alone. At what point do we stop calling these deaths tragedies and start calling this what it is: a full-blown human rights crisis?” Brooks said.
Brooks argued that many people enter Santa Rita Jail while experiencing substance use disorders, mental health crises or other circumstances that would be better addressed through community-based services.
“People are being sent to Santa Rita Jail, often for nonviolent offenses like substance over-utilization or mental health crisis, and far too many are never coming home,” Brooks said.
She also criticized county officials for what she described as a failure to implement meaningful reforms despite years of concerns raised by families and community organizations.
“The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and county leadership cannot keep hiding behind investigations, bureaucratic excuses, and promises of reform while the body count continues to rise,” Brooks said.
Brooks maintained that transferring an incarcerated person to a hospital before death should not absolve jail officials of responsibility for the circumstances that led to the medical emergency.
“They cannot escape accountability simply because someone is transferred from a jail cell to a hospital bed before they die,” she said.
APTP has called for an immediate, independent investigation into Watson’s death, including the jail’s response to her medical emergency and the decision to release her from custody while she remained hospitalized.
The organization also wants the Sheriff’s Office to provide a detailed timeline of events, preserve surveillance footage and relevant records, and disclose investigative findings to Watson’s family and the public, consistent with applicable privacy protections.
Additional demands include an independent review of the jail’s mental health care, suicide prevention protocols, medical response procedures and compliance with existing court-ordered reforms.
APTP is also seeking a public accounting of all 80 reported deaths since 2014, including the circumstances of each death, investigative findings and any corrective actions taken.
Beyond investigating individual deaths, the organization is calling for a shift away from incarceration and toward community-based mental health treatment, crisis response, housing and other supportive services.
The statement also places responsibility on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, urging members to use their budget authority to demand greater transparency and measurable improvements from the Sheriff’s Office.
APTP called on supervisors to scrutinize the department’s budget, require independent audits and public reporting, and withhold additional discretionary funding absent demonstrated progress in addressing jail conditions.
Brooks specifically criticized Sanchez, arguing that the sheriff had promised improvements following the tenure of former Sheriff Gregory Ahern but had failed to deliver meaningful changes.
“Yesenia promised things would be different. She swore that the days of jail violence under Ahern were over. But it has been business as usual in one of the most violent jails in the nation,” Brooks said.
The organization maintains that continued deaths at Santa Rita Jail require more than investigations and statements of condolence, arguing that county leaders must demonstrate measurable improvements in medical care, oversight and accountability.
“The public deserves answers. Families deserve justice. And every person held inside Santa Rita Jail deserves to live,” APTP stated.
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