8 suicides in 13 months dwarfs much larger jails
A surge of eight suicides in just over 13 months in Wayne County's jails dwarfs substantially larger facilities across the country, a 7 Action News investigation finds.
“That’s very, very, very high,” said Margo Schlanger, a professor at the University of Michigan law school and an expert in jail and prison reform. “That should be ringing alarm bells all over.”
The surge comes at a time when the county struggles to fill almost 200 deputy positions, jail facilities fall into further disrepair and plans for a new jail remain stalled.
“You don’t go to jail to get killed,” said Sallie Schultz, whose son Billy Adams took his own life this year while in jail for a probation violation. “You’re supposed to be safe in jail.”
Like most of the eight inmate suicides, Adams hanged himself inside a jail cell. He spent 10 days in a hospital, being kept alive by a ventilator before his family decided to take him off of life support.
“Billy was working so hard to clean himself up, and I was working so hard to help him,” Schultz said.
Most people inside jails, like Adams, are accused of crimes but have not yet had their cases adjudicated.