A 51-year-old Prisoner at a County Jail in Mississippi Apparently Commits Suicide
Fifty-one-year-old Robert Johnson died at Kemper-Neshoba Correctional Facility in De Kalb, Mississippi, on Tuesday, January 9, 2018. He was discovered dead inside an observation room. According to Kemper County Sheriff James Moore, strangulation with a shoestring appears to be the cause of death. An investigation is underway and there will be an autopsy, to determine whether it was a suicide.
Jailers at the facility responded to two altercations earlier that evening, both involving Johnson. The first incident involved other inmates. The second time jailers were involved with Johnson was because he was threatening to do himself harm. He had been moved into the observation room because of those threats.
Although he was found deceased, Johnson was transported to a local hospital, where attempts to revive him failed.
Johnson had been housed at the jail on behalf of Meridian, another city in Mississippi, since November 15 for unpaid fines and a variety of other reasons. Sheriff Moore said they had attempted to determine what Johnson’s history was, and they knew the East Mississippi State Hospital was his last known address.
Johnson spoke about the need for prisoners to get the help they need for mental illnesses. He said county jails aren’t equipped to serve in the role of a mental health center and that jail is not therapy. He said more space needs to be provided at state hospitals, and sheriff’s departments need additional funding to deal with people suffering from mental illness.
Texas lawmakers have acknowledged that prisoners with mental health problems need proper care. A new law referred to as the Sandra Bland Act was passed in 2017. The new legislation adds requirements on how to handle prisoners who are or may be mentally ill.
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