The beating death of a man at the Clackamas County Jail should prompt the sheriff to tap an outside entity to independently review the circumstances leading to the fatality , three leading scholars on incarceration law and policy said.

Reece Richeson, 26, died Oct. 21 at OHSU Hospital after a jailhouse beating Oct. 18. His cellmate, Sapastian Year, 23, has been accused of first-degree murder .

Richeson, who was raised in Portland, was remembered by a friend in recent days as an occasional comedian who mined his mental health and substance use for humor.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office has so far declined to provide details of the specific circumstances that led to Richeson’s death, including how long it took jailers to respond after the assault began and why they placed Rich

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