A person died while incarcerated at Palmer Correctional Center near Sutton on Tuesday.
The Department of Public Safety reports that 66-year-old Michael Padilla experienced a medical emergency and died at 4:31 p.m. Troopers wrote that natural causes likely led to Padilla’s death, and that his body has been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Betsy Holley said five inmates have died in custody in Alaska this year, and Padilla was the first to die at the Palmer Correctional Center. Padilla had been at there since May of last year.
There are currently 470 inmates housed at Palmer Correctional Center and 75 correctional officers.
A record 18 people died while incarcerated in Alaska in 2022. Department of Corrections Commissioner Jen Winkleman told the House Judiciary Committee in February “that’s too many.”