60-year-old inmate found dead in prison dorm at William Donaldson Correctional Facility

60-year-old inmate found dead in prison dorm at William Donaldson Correctional Facility

A William Donaldson Correctional Facility inmate died Sunday night at the western Jefferson County prison.

The inmate’s name is being withheld pending notification of his family. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said he was 60 years old and was serving a life sentence for murder and robbery from a 1986 conviction out of Madison County.

Prison staff discovered the inmate unresponsive at 8:40 p.m. in a communal dormitory, coroner’s officials said. He was pronounced dead at 9:09 p.m.

Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. There is no evidence to suggest trauma or foul play, he said.

So far this year, 32 inmates have died at Donaldson, surpassing the 2021 tally of 26 for the entire year.

According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, deaths at Donaldson have trended upward in recent years. ADOC said 17 inmates died in 2019, and 22 in 2020.

The agency has declined all requests for interviews about the increase in deaths.