A second incarcerated man dies at Springfield prison in less than a month

Michael Myers, a 51-year-old incarcerated man at the Southern State Correctional Facility died Monday morning, according to releases from the Vermont State Police and Department of Corrections. 

Myers appeared to have died from a “medical event,” after having expressed feeling unwell for days, state police wrote in its release. At 9:30 a.m. Monday, a Department of Corrections staffer went to check on Meyers and found him unresponsive. Emergency medical services responded with life-saving attempts, but soon pronounced Meyers dead at the facility. 

Myers’s death comes on the heels of another death at Springfield prison in late January. In 2023, 12 people died in Vermont prisons, according to the Department of Corrections.

Across the United States, jails and correctional facilities are becoming “increasingly deadly,” as one 2023 research paper described climbing rates of mortality in 450 U.S. jails between 2008–2019. Incarcerated people are known to face higher rates of chronic health issues and higher mortality, according to a 2021 review paper by the National Institutes of Health. Each year served in prison corresponds with a 2-year decline in life expectancy, one analysis found. 

Myers had been in custody since 2016, after being convicted of aggravated assault for the stabbing of his then-19-year-old nephew. His criminal history also included additional convictions for driving under the influence, possession of heroin, unlawful trespassing and resisting arrest, according to the state police release.

The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy to confirm the cause of death, according to state police, though foul play is not suspected. Vermont State Police said its investigation is ongoing and updates will be provided when possible.

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