JASPER, Ala. — Six more employees at the Walker County Jail have been indicted in connection with the 2023 death of Tony Mitchell, intensifying scrutiny on jail practices after a string of staff arrests and growing public outrage.
Mitchell, a mentally ill man, died of hypothermia Jan. 26, 2023, after spending two weeks in the jail under conditions authorities now call inhumane. Five of the newly indicted workers are accused of denying Mitchell basic needs such as shelter, sanitation, clothing and medical care. The indictment alleges Mitchell was left naked or nearly naked in a concrete cell without adequate warmth, bedding or consistent access to a toilet or shower.
The federal and state investigation now counts a total of 20 current and former jail staff charged or having entered guilty pleas. Among those most recently charged are a jail captain and a supervisor, who prosecutors say participated in a conspiracy to illegally punish detainees for perceived misbehavior. The indictment also details other alleged abuses, including jailers slamming a handcuffed man’s head into the floor and using another inmate as an “enforcer” to assault a detainee.
These new indictments are separate from the June 2025 charges against Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith, who faces allegations of employing deputies who were not certified or properly trained as law enforcement officers. Smith has denied intentional wrongdoing and claims the prosecution is politically motivated.
The case has fueled calls for sweeping reform in the Walker County detention system, as families and civil rights groups demand accountability for Mitchell’s death and broader improvements in jail conditions.