Levert's death could change jail policy

CLEVELAND, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The death of singer Sean Levert while incarcerated in a county jail in Ohio may result in a law enforcement policy change, an official says.

Cuyahoga County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones said since Levert was denied access to his prescription medication, there has been talk of changing the policy to allow inmates access to certain legal drugs, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Saturday.

A county coroner said Levert's death in March may have been caused, in part, by the 39-year-old's withdrawal from the anti-anxiety medication, Xanax.

The former LeVert singer had been jailed for allegedly failing to pay child support and died six days into his incarceration.

County officials said MetroHealth Medical System could soon be used to offer all inmates medical care to avoid such situations.

MetroHealth interim Chief Executive Officer Mark Moran told The Plain Dealer it remained to be seen if the company was prepared for such an agreement.

"It'll take a little while for us to understand if we have the right resources, the right business model and things like that," he said.