State Inspectors Revise Findings in Cuyahoga County Jail Death, Citing Delayed CPR
State inspectors have reversed their earlier findings and concluded that correctional staff at the Cuyahoga County jail failed to immediately administer CPR to Jennifer Wade, who died in her cell in February 2025. This revised conclusion came after video evidence,…
Columbus, OH, August 11, 2026 —
State inspectors have revised their previous conclusions regarding the death of Jennifer Wade in the Cuyahoga County jail in February 2025. New evidence, including video footage, has led inspectors to determine that correctional staff did not immediately administer CPR after discovering Wade unresponsive in her cell.
The initial inspection findings were altered after video evidence was provided, which had not been available to inspectors earlier. This footage reportedly shows jail staff admitting to leaving Wade unattended for several hours. Furthermore, the video allegedly indicates a delay of over 20 minutes in initiating CPR after Wade was found unresponsive.
This incident marks the third death at the Cuyahoga County jail within the past year where there are allegations of officers failing to administer CPR in a timely manner.
In response to these concerns, the county has submitted a plan aimed at enhancing emergency response procedures within the jail. A new policy has also been implemented, mandating that CPR be administered outside the jail facility. However, the state has not yet given its approval for the county’s submitted plan.
The specific details regarding the contractor’s name were not provided. The fine amount for any violations was not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Doug Livingston, The Marshall Project, Brittany Hailer, The Marshall Project, Mark Puente, The Marshall Project on ohiocapitaljournal.com, see more information here.
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