Inmates at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility will now have access to new medical monitoring technology, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office announced on Wednesday. Those who fit certain criteria upon being booked into the county jail will be given OverWatch wrist or ankle sensors to help detect medical emergencies before they’re beyond treatment.
The devices, manufactured by 4Sight Labs, are designed to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, and motion according to the FCSO. Through a secure platform, data is collected and transmitted to nursing staff at the jail to help them identify situations that necessitate immediate intervention.
According to Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly, the implementation of the OverWatch biosensors is paid for by inmate welfare funds. This means none of the funding comes from taxpayer contributions. In addition to the biosensors, the county jail also uses surveillance cameras, wellness checks, and routine rounds to identify potential medical incidents.
“Often people arrested do not have healthy lifestyles and haven’t seen a doctor in years,” Staly said. “Inmates may be going through addiction withdrawal or because of their addiction have caused significant and undiagnosed damage to their major organs.”
Signs that could indicate an emergency include spikes in heart rates, which is a potential symptom of drug withdrawals or overdoses from hidden drugs brought into the jail. If inmates’ heart rates drop, that could be indicative of a cardiac event, the FCSO says.
“Inmates can feel hopeless in life or when they are facing significant prison time, which increases the likelihood of suicide in jails,” Staly continued. This new technology provides our detention staff and our on-site medical team with the ability to proactively monitor an inmate’s health at no cost to the taxpayer.”
Most recently an inmate died at the Flagler County jail in January 2026. Vadim Valenteychik was booked earlier that week for allegedly driving under the influence, having registered over four times the legal limit of blood-alcohol content. Valenteychik was medically cleared for incarceration, and despite regular checks he was later found dead from what’s believed to be alcohol poisoning. It’s unclear whether an OverWatch biosensor might’ve changed the outcome for Valenteychik had it been worn.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
