Thursday, November 14, 2019

Death of Inmate at SCI-Mahanoy Under Investigation


The death of an inmate at SCI-Mahanoy is under investigation.

According to State Correctional Institution at Mahanoy Superintendent Theresa A. DelBalso, an inmate died at the facility on November 11, 2019.

On November 11, 2019, at 3:20 PM, inmate Tyrone Briggs was reported to be involved in an altercation with another inmate on the walkway near their housing unit. 

While waiting to be processed into the restricted housing unit, Briggs became unresponsive. Medical was notified, and Briggs was transported to the prison’s medical triage area where CPR was started. Briggs was pronounced dead by Dr. Saifullah at 4:56 PM.

Briggs, 29, was serving a 15-to-30-year sentence for rape of a child out of Philadelphia County. He was committed to the Department of Corrections on August 19, 2008, and had been at SCI Mahanoy since August 2011.

The Pennsylvania State Police will conduct an investigation, and the official cause of death will be determined by the county coroner’s office.

Facility staff has notified the inmate’s next of kin.