Vilas County jail inmate dies

The death of an Ashland woman who passed away on New Year’s Day while an inmate at the Vilas County Jail is being investigated by the Oneida County sheriff’s office.

According to a press release from Vilas County Chief Deputy Patrick Schmidt, Jessica Barry, 46, was reported to the jail’s pod control as having a medical emergency in the early evening of Jan. 1.  

According to the press release, a correctional officer was notified of the emergency by another jail inmate just after 6 p.m. and correctional officers “from the jail arrived into the cell where the inmate was having a medical emergency.”

“It was believed, through other inmates, that the inmate was experiencing a drug overdose,” Schmidt said in the press release. “At 6:07 p.m., the first dose of Naloxone HCI (Narcan) was administered to the inmate. A total of six doses were delivered to the inmate. Chest compressions as well as an AED (automated external defibrillator) were given to the inmate. The inmate was unable to be resuscitated and subsequently died.”

As Barry was an inmate in the Vilas County Jail, “the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office was contacted to conduct an independent investigation of the death,” Schmidt explained.

 “The Wisconsin Department of Corrections was also notified and are conducting an investigation as well,” Schmidt said, adding that Barry’s next of kin, Ashland County officials and leaders of the Bad River tribe were contacted regarding the death. 

“We cannot release any of the findings so far, as this is an ongoing investigation,” he added.

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].