Louisville Metro Corrections unveils new health monitoring system after in-custody deaths

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Corrections is rolling out a new high-tech system designed to save lives by closely monitoring the health of inmates in real time.

The Vital Monitoring System, introduced Monday, tracks key health indicators such as heart rate, oxygen levels and signs of medical distress. Officials say it could be a game changer for jail operations and comes in response to a series of high-profile deaths in custody.

“We’ve been working on this project for about a year. This is really a game-changing project for jails,” said Louisville Metro Corrections Chief Jerry Collins.

The system comes after the February 2023 death of Arthur McCarty, who was found unresponsive in his cell. His sister recalled that the only information the family received was that McCarty was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

Just last month, a 54-year-old man also died while in custody at Metro Corrections. His death is one of several in recent years that have raised concerns about inmate health and safety.

“We’ve got a lot of healthcare challenges, folks coming in off the streets that are in not the greatest shape,” Collins said.

The Vital Monitoring System uses small devices installed in single-occupant cells to track vital signs set by medical staff. If those levels go too high or too low, the system sends an alert to both medical and security teams.

“If someone’s asleep, they have a heart attack, someone attempts suicide — this allows us to immediately see them,” Collins said. “Vitals go down and our staff are alerted immediately.”

The device is housed in a small box positioned above each cell. On the monitoring screen, white indicates a vacant cell, green shows an occupied one and red signals a medical alert.

“If it’s red, that means the vitals have either gone too high or dropped too low,” Collins said. “It’s really just about alerting the folks on the floor so they can respond.”

Metro Corrections hopes the new system will help staff respond to medical emergencies faster — and prevent more tragedies from happening behind bars.

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