Luzerne County female inmate has died

A 48-year-old female inmate found unresponsive May 8 at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre has died, county officials said Wednesday.

An autopsy has been scheduled for May 13 to determine an official cause of death, according to a release from county Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich.

County Manager C. David Pedri had previously informed council the prison was considering the incident an attempted suicide.

Immediately upon discovery of the unresponsive inmate around 11:30 a.m. May 8, county correctional officers performed CPR, and the medical department responded with other life-saving attempts, Pedri had said.

The inmate remained under medical care at a local hospital until her death at 5:45 a.m. Wednesday, Rockovich said.

It is the second suicide in just over a month.

On March 22, a 36-year-old male inmate was found unresponsive in his cell at the prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre, and he died at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital on March 28.

County Coroner Francis Hacken had said the cause of death was hanging, and the manner was suicide.

Last week, on May 3, a 27-year-old male inmate attempted suicide, but he is expected to make a full recovery “thanks in no small part to the quick work by the correctional officers and the medical team at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility who performed heroic life saving measures,” Pedri has said.

Pedri told council he has asked for an outside team of medical professionals to review the medical and intake documents of the past three cases to provide “additional insight to staff.”

County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce also said he set up a meeting with prison officials and the administration to discuss the deaths and whether any additional precautionary measures can be taken in the future.

Following standard protocol, the prison immediately contacted the district attorney’s office to investigate in all three cases.

County officials had stepped up mental health services and protocols, in part to address concerns raised after the death of four female inmates from June 2017 to January 2018. Three of these deaths were ruled suicides, and the fourth was deemed accidental.