Mental health

Welcome again to Dr.’s note. Today we’ll discuss mental health protocol within the prison system.

Suicide is sadly very common in prison. The place is overwhelming and depressing. Being suicidal here is almost considered normal due to the environment and conditions.

So what happens when an inmate becomes suicidal and ask for help?… I’m glad you asked.

When an inmate reports to an officer that they are suicidal, several reactions are common. Some officers will laugh them off. I’ve witnessed others encourage the inmate to go through with the suicide. Some are even harassed and taunted for being weak.

If you think that is bad, let me explain the protocol by prison policy.

When an inmate reports being suicidal, they are immediately stripped naked. They are placed in an extremely cold room without any clothing or property. There is no bed. There is only a cold hard floor and a floor drain for urine. The room is normally filthy with bodily fluids on the walls and floor.

The inmate receives no counseling before this is done… none! In fact, the inmate normally stays in this condition for 1-4 weeks before a mental health professional evaluates them.

The inmate is left in this cold room with only an undersized blanket. They receive no showers this entire time. They receive no access to hygiene products including a toothbrush for weeks. There is no toilet paper unless an officer has mercy on the inmate.

The inmate is periodically brought water whenever the officer feels like bringing it. They are fed peanut butter and bologna sandwiches for every meal.

I have witnessed officers withhold food from inmates they dislike. I have heard first hand accounts of inmates receiving food containing razor blades and other harmful substances. Inmates often go weeks without eating during this time for these very reasons.

This is something I experienced first hand in 2021. I was months away from completing my doctrinal program and wanted to investigate first hand. That is how I know all this information to be true.

I was so moved by this injustice, I decided to be the solution.

After graduating, I promoted my free counseling services by making paper flyers and word of mouth. I made myself available to everyone using the rec yards and church as an office. There was nothing the prison officials could do to stop it.

After months, the work became overwhelming. It was honestly too much for one person to handle. That’s when I began training other inmates to help. These training sessions were a huge success.

On Robertson Unit in Abilene, Texas, there were roughly 4-13 suicides per month when I arrived. By the time I started counseling and training others that number was 0-2.

The entire state took notice and brought other wardens to Robertson unit to learn this model. Sounds great right?… wrong.

They still have not changed any protocol or policies regarding suicidal inmates. The inmates chosen by officials to help combat suicide are not being properly trained to help people in crisis. Instead, they are told to tell an officer about the suicidal person, so the can conduct their torturous protocol.

I am convinced this protocol is the very reason for the high rates of institutional suicides. There is no avenue for real actual help. 90% of the time that is what the suicidal person is really asking for anyway. They ask and never receive.

These are sons and daughters who never make it home although they were never intended by a jury to receive a death sentence.

Part of me wonders how this protocol was ever instituted. Part of me wonders how a panel of professionals approved this. Most of me wonders how it remains to this day, even when we observe it is counter productive.

This is another reason why former inmates arrive in your community so abnormal in many ways. It is a miracle they made it out with any sanity. As you now know, many needlessly don’t make it out at all.

Thank you for reading this weeks post. -Dr. J.