A 43-year-old inmate at Folsom State Prison died Saturday after correctional officers found him unresponsive inside his cell, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Correctional staff reportedly discovered John Joseph Pine unresponsive at approximately 4 p.m. Saturday. Pine was alone in the cell and did not have an assigned cellmate at the time, according to information provided by CDCR.
Officers immediately began life-saving measures and transported Pine to the prison’s treatment and triage area, where efforts to revive him continued. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The cause of Pine’s death has not yet been determined and remains pending a report from the Sacramento County Coroner.
Pine had been incarcerated in California on several occasions dating back more than two decades. He was first sent to prison in 2003 following a vehicle theft conviction in Los Angeles County. He was released on parole the following year before receiving another sentence for vehicle theft in 2004.
After another parole release in 2005, Pine returned to prison that same year following a grand theft auto conviction. He was released on parole again in 2008.
Three years after that release, Pine was sentenced for making a terroristic threat with a hate crime enhancement. He was later released on parole in 2016.
At the time of his death, Pine was serving a 21-year prison sentence for assault with a deadly weapon and infliction of great bodily injury, according to CDCR. He had been housed at Folsom State Prison since Nov. 6, 2018.
Additional information regarding the circumstances surrounding Pine’s death was not immediately available. The Sacramento County Coroner will determine the official cause of death.
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