DOJ Says Pennsylvania Prison Failing to Prevent Inmate Suicides
A federal review has concluded that a prison facility in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, is not adequately addressing the risks of suicide among its inmates. This violates Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policies and raises urgent concerns about the questionable treatment of prisoners within the facility.
The Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has also expressed ongoing concerns about Lewisburg Federal Prison. This medium-security institution houses around 1,100 inmates, many in transit to other prisons. These inmates are typically held in single cells, meaning they do not share their cells with other inmates.
The BOP has acknowledged that staffing shortages, as well as broken-down equipment and other deficiencies, could be contributing to the increased risk of inmate suicide, and the OIG has consistently highlighted the mental health problems that solitary confinement can cause, alleging that holding prisoners alone in their cells can increase the risk of suicide.
A Common Practice
Despite the BOP's warnings about solitary confinement, the practice continues to be used in many federal prisons, including the one in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The prison has faced ongoing scrutiny after the federal government conducted a series of unannounced inspections. The feds discovered ongoing problems at the facility, including staffing shortages, inadequate healthcare for inmates, broken-down equipment and inappropriate conduct on the part of prison employees.
Previous investigations by other organizations, including NPR and The Marshall Project, revealed that staff used restraints on inmates as a form of punishment when they did not comply with instructions. Furthermore, the lack of medical treatment for inmates who suffer from illnesses such as depression and other mental conditions has been a significant concern.
The investigations showed that many inmates with mental illnesses were placed in solitary confinement for long periods, often in the same physical area as other inmates with similar conditions, increasing the risk of violence and even fatalities among imprisoned individuals.
Fatalities in Federal Prisons
It is not just the Lewisburg prison receiving scrutiny. The OIG report revealed an alarming number of inmate deaths under Bureau of Prison care within the last eight years, with 344 deaths attributed to one of three causes: suicide, homicide, or accidents. The report came out after an inquiry following the death of Jeffrey Epstein, who was found in a single cell with access to bed sheets he used to hang himself.
In Lewisburg specifically, the prison reported 16 suicide attempts between January 2022 to March 2024, seven of those being inmates housed in single cells.
Five of these attempts happened with inmates held in the prison's restrictive housing unit, where prisoners are subjected to 23 hours of lockdown per day, meaning they can only leave their cells for an hour. Many of these individuals were also in solitary confinement.
The review also showed that prison guards do not have the necessary equipment to try to save inmates, such as knives for cutting through thick sheets or ropes. The BOP mandates that prison staff have such equipment available in case of emergencies.
Mental Health Management Concerns
Finally, the OIG report suggested mismanagement of medications for prisoners, specifically drugs for mental health conditions, such as depression.
The review found that several inmates had their treatment plans abruptly discontinued by a prison doctor who did not evaluate them, increasing their risk of mental illness and a potential reaction to the abrupt discontinuation of medication.
Patients who take these drugs usually taper off them to avoid drug withdrawal symptoms, which can be severe and even fatal in some cases. Specifically, people who take antidepressants are warned not to abruptly stop taking their medication, as that may lead to relapse or, worse, symptoms associated with drug withdrawal.
While prisons argue about the potential of overprescribing, the OIG stated that the severe risks associated with stopping medication suddenly outweigh those concerns.
The medical community agrees that sudden cessation of these drugs can lead to continued problems within the prison for people (in this case, the inmates), potentially risking their lives by making them more susceptible to violence, increasing the risk of misbehavior, which can lead to solitary confinement and other punishments, and heightened risks of suicide.
As previously noted, Lewisburg Federal Prison is commonly used as a transitional facility. This means that any problems that arise while inmates are staying at the facility can then worsen and become bigger problems at the subsequent facilities where they are transferred.
Related Resources
- Louisiana Ordered to Remove Teens From Angola State Prison (FindLaw's Courtside)
- Can You Sue for Injuries in Jail or Prison? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Free Speech Rights of Prisoners (FindLaw's Learn About the Law)
