Policy Pathways Launches 'Uncounted': A National Civilian-Driven In-Custody Death Reporting Database

Accountability Begins With A Count.

RICHMOND, VA, UNITED STATES, June 6, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a landmark step toward justice and transparency in the American criminal legal system, Policy Pathways, Inc., has launched Uncounted—the nation’s first online civilian-led and civilian-reported database dedicated to documenting in-custody deaths in jails, prisons, and detention centers across the United States. Uncounted kicked off Friday, June 6, 2025, with a virtual information session. Remarks were made by impacted mothers and family members affected by in-custody deaths, criminal justice experts, data analysts, nonprofit and grassroots organizers, and more.

Speakers included:
• Dr. D. Pulane Lucas, Founder of Uncounted and President & CEO, Policy Pathways
• Dr. Jay D. Aronson, a professor of science, technology, and society in the Department of History at Carnegie Mellon University, and co-author of the book, "Death In Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do about It"
• Paloma Serna, Impacted Family Member (Mother of Elisa Serna), and community organizer and advocate with Saving Lives in Custody California
• Hon. Delores L. McQuinn, Virginia House of Delegates (District 81)
• Anthony Arenas, Lead Virtual Action Organizer, Dignity and Power Now/JusticeLA
• Terry Lovett, Impacted Family Member (Mother of Jalani Lovett), and community organizer and advocate for the reduction of jail deaths
• Logan Sowers, Policy Pathways Intern, undergraduate student at the University of Virginia, and a Policy Pathways Summer Academy Alum (2022)
• Marcella Rosen, Media Coordinator, Care First California

“Uncounted was born out of the tragic and unaccounted death of my only son, Stanley Wilson Jr., a former NFL player who died on February 1, 2023, while in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” said Dr. D. Pulane Lucas. Stanley’s death was not reported publicly online in official county and state in-custody death databases. “Every human being who dies in custody deserves to be counted. Uncounted is about dignity, accountability, and data integrity. This is how we demand change—through the power of viewing the act of self-reporting in-custody deaths as a civic responsibility and by giving voice to citizens who may feel powerless facing governmental and carceral systems,” said Dr. Lucas, who was inspired to establish Uncounted after reading, "Death In Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do about It," by Roger A. Mitchell Jr., MD, and Jay D. Aronson, PhD.

“Uncounted provides civilians with the opportunity to do what our current systems have not: report the in-custody deaths of those who have been forgotten in official counts, recognize the structural flaws that facilitate such unnecessary losses of life, and realize a reformed criminal justice system that promotes the dignity, safety, and well-being of all. When our institutions fail to accurately and transparently report custodial deaths, it’s more than our right to hold them accountable—it’s our obligation!” commented Logan Sowers.

Uncounted was created to address the thousands of lives that are lost in law enforcement custody – particularly deaths that are never recorded. Despite the federal Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) requiring states to report custodial deaths to the Department of Justice, thousands of deaths go uncounted each year due to bureaucratic failure, conflicting definitions of “custody,” and deliberate underreporting by some law enforcement agencies. A 2022 Senate investigation revealed nearly 1,000 unreported deaths in a single year—a failure labeled “utterly unacceptable” by congressional leaders.

Dr. Andrea Armstrong, distinguished Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans, asserts that the rising numbers of deaths in custody is “an urgent matter of public concern,” particularly since “less than 1% of those deaths were judicially sentenced to death by a court as punishment for their crime.”

To report an in-custody death, please use the Uncounted Submission Form accessible at:
🔗 https://policypathways.org/services
🔗 http://incustodydeathreportform.com

Uncounted provides a secure, online portal where families, healthcare workers, prison staff, legal advocates, and others can report any deaths in custody—natural and unnatural—anonymously or with contact information. Uncounted aims to collect information on in-custody deaths that are otherwise missing from the public record. The platform was developed with input from policy and legal scholars, criminal justice experts, civil rights advocates, and high school and college students.

Rising 11th grader Anay Pruthy, who serves as a Policy Pathways Research Assistant working on Uncounted's national strategy & partnership campaign commented "Young people are the first generation to grow up fully aware of mass incarceration and police violence. We’re not just reposting injustice — we’re documenting it, organizing around it, and making sure no one dies unseen."

Mission of Uncounted
To bring visibility, accuracy, and transparency to in-custody deaths across America through a civilian-powered reporting platform that empowers individuals and families in rural, urban, and suburban communities to document what official systems fail to acknowledge.

Vision of Uncounted
A future in which every death in custody is counted, investigated, and used to inform systemic reforms that prevent needless loss of life behind bars or while detained, under arrest, or in the process of being arrested, or en route to being incarcerated or hospitalized.

Why Uncounted Matters
• Nearly 1,000 in-custody deaths went unreported in 2021 alone, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
• Federal law (DCRA) mandates reporting, but enforcement is weak and compliance is inconsistent.
• Black and Latino men ages 18–40 – many pre-trial – are disproportionately represented in uncounted deaths.
• Families, advocates, and even correctional staff often have no way to ensure deaths are publicly recorded.

Key Features of Uncounted:
• Open to the public – anyone can submit a report of an in-custody death
• Tracks retroactive, current, and future in-custody deaths
• Anonymous and by name submissions available
• Operates independent of law enforcement or government control
• Aggregates data for researchers and policymakers
• Highlights demographic trends and patterns in medical neglect, violence, suicide, and abuse

For more information, please contact info@policypathways.org.

Press Inquiries and Media Interviews:
Contact Person: Dr. D. Pulane Lucas
Phone Number: (866) 465-6671

Event Sponsors: Policy Pathways, Inc., and Our Beloved Sons, Productions

To report an in-custody death, please use the Uncounted Submission Form accessible at:
🔗 https://policypathways.org/services
🔗 http://incustodydeathreportform.com

D Pulane Lucas
Policy Pathways, Inc.
+1 866-465-6671
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