Silverdale Inmate Death

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Investigators take a closer look at the death of Madison Deal.

That’s after family lawyers say she died due to an attack by several female inmates while in custody at the Silverdale correctional facility.

Her family says she was also denied propert medical care by the Corrections Corporation of America, and their lawyers are searchin for answers.

Just days ago, District Attorney Neal Pinkston asked the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office to investigate the death of a Silverdale inmate, 26-year-old Madison Deal.

But Monday, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office announced that a preliminary autopsy found Deal’s death was related to a medical problem and did not involve “Physical Trauma.”

According to Family attorney Bryan Hoss, Deal turned herself into the Hamilton County Jail, August 10th, for a misdemeanor citation, but because she failed to do three public work days, she was sent to Silverdale.

Two days later, she was attacked by other inmates in her cell, which was all caught on surveillance video.

The next day, Deal told her mother about the attack, and mentioned that she told Silverdale nurses she was vomiting, had tightness in her chest and severe head pain.

The following week Deal collapsed while at SIlverdale, and was taken to Erlanger where her lawyers say she died at 5 A-M on a Thursday, just one week after turning herself in.

And Just recently News 12 recieved handwritten, signed letters from Silverdale inmates and correctional officers, who are still there, and have witnessed or went through what the Deal family is reporting happened to Madison.

One correctional officer who will remain anonymous writes:
“Different gang members have been placed in same units together, which is a safety violation. The facility has been very short staffed for seven months or more now and had to call in help from other CCA facilities. We had to work 16 to 18 hours instead of our 12 hour shirts, without a break.”

While an inmate writes:
“I have never felt so threatened in my life. I do not feel safe in any way.”

The Deal family’s attorney says no lawsuit has been filed at this point, as they are still waiting on a final autopsy report to be released.