Inmate at Philadelphia jail killed in fight

A man incarcerated in Philadelphia’s prison system died last week following a fight with another inmate, city officials said.

Jamal Collier, 33, and Edwin Vargas, 22, were both hospitalized as a result of the altercation, which occurred Thursday, March 16, the city’s Department of Prisons said in a statement late Friday. Collier succumbed to his injuries just before 7:15 p.m. that night, according to the PDP.

“This is an active investigation and further details can and will be provided in due course,” the department’s statement said.

Court records indicate that Vargas has been detained since a September arrest for robbery and carjacking. He is currently facing conspiracy and theft charges after the more serious counts were quashed.

Ten inmates died in city jails in 2022, according to a report released earlier this month by a court monitor appointed in response to a class-action settlement over conditions in the prison system.

Four deaths were attributed to overdoses; three to suicides; two to natural causes; and one case is still pending, the report said.