From The Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY — An inmate at the Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore, Ala. passed away on Wednesday, July 15, more than two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19.
Ricky Lynn Patterson, a 61-year-old inmate who was serving an 87-month sentence for two counts of distribution of a controlled substance out of Talladega County, was transferred to a local hospital for a scheduled procedure on June 26. Upon his arrival, Patterson was tested for coronavirus and later came back positive.
According to a press release from the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC), Patterson was discharged from the hospital on July 8, but was transferred back on July 9 due to complications from the procedure performed while he was hospitalized. He remained under the care of the hospital until his passing on July 15.
According to the release, Patterson had been housed in the jail’s infirmary due to multiple advanced and chronic medical conditions prior to his procedure. He was tested for COVID-19 on June 11 after being exposed to another inmate who tested positive. Patterson’s first test came back negative.
The ADOC has confirmed that two inmates have tested positive for coronavirus at the St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville since July 15. The department has also confirmed that three staff members have tested positive since Wednesday, including one apiece from the Bibb Correctional Facility, Mobile Community Based Facility and Staton Correctional Facility.