The cell where Tony Mitchell died of hypothermia and sepsis in 2023 sits empty now, but for a few spare mattresses strewn on the floor inside the Walker County Jail.

“That cell, as long as I’m sheriff, it’s never going to be used again,” said Nick Smith, the top law enforcement officer in Walker County.

The cells surrounding the one where Mitchell died now have sensors that can detect an inmate’s breathing and heartbeat. At a nearby wall of video boards with constant camera feeds, a jail employee can see the respiratory rate and heartbeat of every inmate on the floor.

If an inmate stops breathing, or if his heart stops beating, an alarm goes off. Corrections officers are expected to respond and make instant life-and-death decisions. A nurse from the nearby infirmary is expected to respo

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