Delaware inmate, 56, dies in custody

WILMINGTON, Del. – Delaware officials say a 56-year-old inmate has died after going into cardiac arrest while being treated at an infirmary.

Delaware Department of Correction Paul Shavack said in a statement that inmate James Hamilton was pronounced dead at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington early Saturday.

The statement says Hamilton was receiving care at the infirmary for a “medical condition” when he went into cardiac arrest. It says staff began life-saving measures, but Hamilton was pronounced dead by paramedics who arrived at the scene.

Hamilton, who was from Wilmington, had been in custody at the facility since Wednesday for a drug-related probation violation and related charges.

An autopsy will determine his cause of death.

The statement says a preliminary investigation does not indicate suspicious circumstances or foul play.