Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce released a report Wednesday on a March 22 inmate hanging death at the county Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre.
                                 File photo

Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce released a report Wednesday on a March 22 inmate hanging death at the county Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre.

File photo

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Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce released a report Wednesday on a March 22 inmate hanging death at the county Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre.

The 36-year-old inmate died at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital on March 28 after he had been found unresponsive in his assigned cell at approximately 9:33 p.m. on March 22.

According to Sanguedolce:

The man had covered the opening to his cell with a towel.

He removed the cover on the order of corrections officers conducting a cell check, but he again covered the opening after officers completed the check.

The inmate’s cell mate had been out of the cell on the telephone during this time. When the cell mate returned, he discovered the individual having hanged himself while alone in the cell.

This description of what happened was confirmed by both video surveillance and interviews with inmates and corrections officers.

County corrections officials contacted county 911 to report an unresponsive male. Wilkes-Barre’s Fire Department and Medic Unit 5 responded and transported the inmate to Wilkes-Barre General.

The investigation, which also involved Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Services, verified the incident was a suicide consistent with the manner of death previously reported by county Coroner Francis Hacken, Sanguedolce said.

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

Sanguedolce said his office is attempting to schedule a meeting with prison officials next week to discuss this suicide and a still-ongoing investigation of a suicide attempt this week.

County Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich said a 27-year-old man made a “very serious suicide attempt” discovered around 7:30 p.m. Monday. The man remains at Wilkes-Barre General, and Rockovich said he is actively monitoring the inmate’s condition and is hopeful he will fully recover.

The inmate was incarcerated at the county prison on Water Street April 30.

“Although the criminal investigation may be completed, we intend to further explore the facts and circumstances leading to these incidents at our prison,” Sanguedolce said. “In light of the additional investigation undertaken this week, I am hopeful that, as a group, county officials can find further steps to identify and prevent at-risk individuals from self-harm.”

Rockovich has said he and the entire staff are vigilant about suicide prevention.

County officials 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.

In addition to inmates impacted by dependency on opioids and other drugs, more offenders with mental health disabilities land in the county prison system today due to the closure and downsizing of state hospitals in favor of community-based treatment programs that in many cases never materialized, officials have said.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.