An inmate at the troubled Dade Correctional Institution was found strangled to death in his cell last week, the Miami Herald reports.
LavarValentin was allegedly murdered by his cellmate, Eduardo Carmenates-Zayas, whom Valentin had asked to be moved away from as he feared for his life, the Herald reports.
According to the Herald, prison protocol dictates that inmates be isolated when they make claims that they fear for their lives, and that guards should make rounds every half hour to check on inmates well-being. There was only one guard assigned to 265 inmates, and he was stationed in the control room when Valentin was attacked, the Herald reports.
This case follows a storm of allegations at DCI of prisoner abuse, neglect and death, and it has led to last month’s firing of warden Jerry Cummings. According to the Herald, multiple sources from inside the prison have reported serious security breaches throughout the prison as a result of negligence.