Inmate deaths a call to action

When people refer to a prisoner or criminal suspect as being "in custody," the term generally conveys the notion that government controls that person’s movements. With control comes responsibility, though, and the string of recent suicides in Hawaii correctional facilities sounds an alarm that, fortunately, now has the attention of state officials.

The stories underscore the state’s imperative to review the way prisoners’ needs are assessed and their basic care is managed, which, according to the state Department of Public Safety, is underway now.

And although prison incidents generally don’t reverberate into the general consciousness, the state does need to ensure there are no underlying managerial shortcomings that could produce a broader security problem. The public should be concerned about that. Finally, everyone needs to be worried about the state being sued, if it is found to be lax in this area.

The death of a woman Saturday at Oahu Community Correctional Center marked the third suicide in Oahu prisons since April. Catherine Callahan, 56, was found hanging in her cell, after being on suicide watch May 2-7. State Department of Public Safety officials declined comment on the reason for taking her off suicide watch.

The other suicides:

» Darius Puni-Mau, 22, died April 8 at Halawa Correctional Facility.

» Ikaika Andrade, 18, hanged himself April 29 at OCCC.

The manner of death is still undetermined for Max Davis Jr., found dead at OCCC. He had been jailed for assaulting a mental health worker at the Hawaii State Hospital, which is where he was committed after being acquitted by reason of insanity in the rape and murder of a child.

People can hope that this flurry of cases is just a statistical cluster and not a sign of things to come.

The problem of prison suicide has been around for years and is frequently under study. It remains a leading cause of deaths in jails, according to the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, at a rate that is about triple what it is for the general population.

However, there is hope that prisons that employ best practices can show significant improvement. One of the center’s currently cited reports is "National Study of Jail Suicide," released in 2010. That year the center logged the suicide rate in county jails at 38 deaths per 100,000 inmates, a dramatic decrease from the 107 suicides per 100,000 reported in 1986.

The report author, Lindsay Hayes, has attributed improvements to better suicide prevention programming, training of jail staff and increased, detailed inquiry of suicide risk factors during the prison intake process.

Such factors are being reviewed by Hawaii’s Public Safety officials, said Deputy Director Max Otani. There is an ongoing exchange involving the department’s mental health services office and security personnel over "how better to identify and work with offenders who pose a risk of harming themselves," Otani said in a written statement.

Officials are looking at policies and procedures, with corrections officers undergoing more training and additional surveillance cameras being installed, he added.

The national study showed that the majority of cases happen within the first few months — many within the first few days — after the inmate’s arrival. About 38 percent were found to have a history of mental illness, according to the report.

It’s too easy to overlook these events as having no effect on the rest of us. But the agency must persist in the search for better approaches. Any hint that the state is failing people in its custody could signal a deeper problem, one that should not be ignored.