In recent months, the Shasta County Jail has been beleaguered from problems. The high profile suicide of Benjamin Williams; the two recent escapes, that of Danny Enquist last summer, and the recent gaffe allowing the wrong inmate to be released; and more recently, the attempted suicide of inmate Robert Hedrick. Additionally, there have been many more suicide attempts that go unreported to the public. For instance, three days after the Hedrick episode, inmate Donald Papenfus in a copycat attempt, also tried to hang himself with a bed sheet--and this was done in the very same cell and manner as used by Hedrick. Even though Papenfus was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, his condition was not sufficiently serious to invoke the interest of the press. In fact, jail staff has been overheard saying they did not want "another one" in the news right now. 

Most jail suicide attempts do not receive media attention, but nevertheless, they are a regular occurrence at all jails, including the Shasta Jail. It is also a fact that if someone seriously is dedicated to committing suicide--he or she will. Jail staff cannot stop all suicides, but they can prevent the vast majority. When interviewed, Jail officials cite their use of "safety cells" (rubber rooms), and receiving clearance from mental health workers prior to placing suspect inmates into the jail general population. Blunders in these methods are commonplace, and therefore, should only be considered the first line of defense. 

The most effective means of preventing any of the myriad normal jail problems lies in the training, competency, professionalism, and general attitude of staff in performance of their duties. How staff interfaces with the inmates under their care in their day-to-day dealings will have more effect than a gaggle of mental health workers. And this is mostly overlooked or given little importance by jail administrators. 

There is little doubt jail staff is well trained in most areas related to their job. Only one area has been questioned statewide, and this is now recognized and being rectified by most departments: training in dealing with mentally disturbed individuals. However, there is another group, those who lose hope--those who through desperation believe they have nothing left in the world and become driven to suicide. With this group, staff needs to not be part of the problem, to not be one of those driving these individuals further into desperation, to not be the one who drives the person perched on the edge of the cliff of reality over the edge. 

In practice, this gets down to what most people call "little things." The person becomes vulnerable over the big problem, that which caused his incarceration in the first place, but it is often the little things that become the straw that broke the camel's back. In the midst of attempting to deal with the potential of a long prison sentence, say his wife dumps him, or his child becomes sick or injured. He is now frustrated by being in jail, he is unable to help his child, and can't even see that child. In seeking solace, he may even attempt to talk to a jail guard, the only authority figure available. How the guard handles this may be the lynch-pin between life and attempted suicide. 

This doesn't help unless the guards are receptive. In the Shasta Jail, these inmates are particularly put-off by the numerous signs plastered around the facility stating, "NO WHINNING!" What message does this send, other than the obvious--we don't care about your problems. This is then reinforced by the typical jail guard response received after one makes the mistake of thinking they care--If you don't like it don't come to my jail. This and other equally testy responses are commonplace and contribute to inmate depression. 

State law provides that inmates be treated with respect and dignity, and most officers do this, but not all. In the regular housing units of the Shasta Jail, the inmates are locked in their cells from 10:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Then their doors are left open until 10:30 p.m. During this time inmates have access to the Day Room, a television set, collect call telephones, showers, and socialization with other inmates. 

Those who have never experienced being thrown in jail, and the resulting shock and mental gyrations one goes through in dealing with the emotional turmoil of incarnations, are ill equipped to comprehend the importance of the "little things." Extreme stress and frustration can be caused by something as simple as watching television, and then having a sadistic guard turn off the TV five minutes before the end of the program, so that the inmates often never see the endings. Or just simply refuse to turn on the TV in the first place. 

The people who have never experienced jail often ignorantly respond with: "So be it, they're criminals," even when they hear even serious inmate complaints. Are they? For the most part, we are talking about pre-trial detainees. Persons not yet convicted of a crime, persons detained only to ensure their presence at trial who are too poor to afford bail. 

Supposedly, Shasta County is still in America, and America is still a democracy with a Constitution. So for all of you "so be it" types out there, do you no longer believe in the Constitution? What about one of America's founding principles? Innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of your peers. Do you advocate decimating these principles, and treating these unconvicted detainees as though they were convicted criminals even though they have not yet been formally convicted as guaranteed by the Constitution? If so, then you have a lynch mob attitude, and are actually advocating the overthrow of our present justice system--a more towards anarchy, dictatorial, or Nazi type fascism. Take your choice. 

This type of attitude runs rampant among the guards and is a major problem. Most, but not all guards have the attitude that everyone in jail, no matter their actual status, is already guilty and must be punished. Their attitudes are reflected in numerous jail policies set by jail administrators. Policies that typically consider things like receiving a visit to be a privilege that must be earned. Visiting, the single most important thing in an inmate's life, is toyed with and sometimes canceled. Television, the great baby sitter and time occupier, is toyed with and even censored. Shasta Jail Inmates are not allowed to watch the regular network channels, even though their Inmate Welfare Fund pays the cable bill. Obstensively because these channels promote violence, and show local news broadcasts. The most violent channel available, bar none--the Cartoon Network--if provided, along with TNN which provides hours of daily viewing such as "Cops" and "Real TV," where the inmates watch all sorts of violent bloody programming, and to top it off "WWE" where there is very little wrestling, but great lessons in disrespect to fellow humans through "trash talk" and threats of violence. But the same broadcast channels families have been watching nightly from the advent of television in their homes are considered a bad influence on inmates and censored. 

Then there is the telephone system, the inmates' second most important link to their families. These are far too expensive, with huge kickbacks going to the jail via their contract with telephone providers for access to a monopoly, and the ability to charge nearly five dollars for a local call. 

The Shasta Jail provides no Board Games, as do other jails and California prisons, to help inmates occupy time. Remember the old adage--idle minds and hands are the devil's workshop. The rules discourage literacy and reading, another good time occupier, whereas certain guards confiscate books and issue disciplinary infractions for possessing more than two books. If an inmate possess a Bible, a prayer book, and a dictionary--then he or she had better not be caught reading a novel, for that person will have too many books, and run afoul of this unreasonable rule. 

While these things all sound like petty whining, which we know from their signs is prohibited, the totality of petty deprivation is a very important factor when it comes to driving an already unstable inmate over the brink of self destruction. When one loses everything, even hope, leaving no incentive to go on, the problems begin. The problems are not just suicide, they also include causing violence or the desperation to escape. For those who are more stable, these petty deprivations may only cause one to hate. 

Whichever, neither is necessary. Easy changes that would actually enhance security would go a long way toward preventing the types of problems recently exposed in the media. Jail Administrators could take a less cavalier, less dismissive attitude toward inmate complaints. Particularly regarding staff residents or mistakes, which for the most part are summarily dismissed with statements like--Officer Doe is an officer in good standing and I support the good job he/she is doing, and he/she will continue doing that job. 

For example, someone has chosen to cover-up the huge blunder from the Hedrick suicide attempt, where inmates were beginning CPR, but were ordered to stop by Jail Staff, who then delayed restarting CPR for several minutes. Then, when talking to the media, a Jail Official announced they were increasing security by only allowing half the inmates into the day rooms at a time on a rotating basis. This irrational knee-jerk reaction was not close to being reasonably related to the problems needing solved. Just the opposite, in fact, is true as this change has the potential of making matters worse, as depressed individuals need more socialization--not more isolation. 

The Jail Administration need to get their collective heads out of the sand. They ignore, overlook, disbelieve--often incredulously--and with dupability they acquiesce to the sophistry of their underlings in blind support. 

The suicide attempt of Donald Papenfus on January 14, 2003, is a perfect example. On January 3, 2003, Papenfus has accused an officer of police brutality. Without taking a position on the veracity of the complaint, it is painfully obvious the situation was poorly, if not incompetently handled. Papenfus was in an emotional dither because his complaint was not taken seriously, and he was constantly being taunted by officers. Approximately two hours before the suicide attempt, Papenfus telephoned his mother in Arkansas, and was informed by her that she had received a very demented and unprofessional telephone call from a Sergeant at the Shasta Jail who pronounced: Your son is lying and he can't prove anything. Did this drive Papenfus over the edge? Why was such a call ever made? There is no logical rational reason for this call unless it was shamefacedly done with a guilty conscience. Was it aimed at intimidation? It would certainly never be done as part of a professionally run investigation. This reeks of the Shakespearean message contained in the line: I believe the lady doth protest too much. 

The recent public statements from Jail Officials that everything is being done properly, and that Jail Staff are doing an excellent job, is mere ephemeral sophistry--a failure to face the reality that some officers may not be doing such an excellent job after all. There is always room for improvement. 

January 18, 2003