澳彩开奖

MONTGOMERY, Ala. 鈥� Alabama鈥檚 Department of Corrections (ADOC) will be required to immediately take detailed steps to monitor people in segregation in prison and implement other preventive measures to reduce the risk of suicides, according to a U.S. District Court ruling issued over the weekend. Lawyers from ADOC had argued that immediate relief was unnecessary, asserting it would be more 鈥渆fficient鈥� for the court to wait.听 The court soundly rejected this this argument.

In a scathing 210-page decision, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ordered a number of measures, expressing serious concern that ADOC was not adhering to its own policies, even as 15 people died in 15 months by suicide.听 The suicide rate for Alabama鈥檚 prisons was roughly three times the national average for prisons in 2018.听 The court also ordered a monitor to oversee the orders are properly implemented.听听

The court ruling reads, 鈥淭he defendants argue that they cannot prevent all suicides in ADOC. It is true that, as in the free world, not all suicides can be prevented. But this reality in no way excuses ADOC鈥檚 substantial and pervasive suicide-prevention inadequacies. Unless and until ADOC lives up to its Eighth Amendment obligations, avoidable tragedies will continue.鈥�

鈥淭he court鈥檚 order recognized Alabama鈥檚 pervasive neglect of people with mental health issues in Alabama鈥檚 prisons that need immediate and thorough intervention,鈥� said Maria Morris, senior supervising attorney at the 澳彩开奖 and lead attorney for听.听鈥�While we are satisfied with the court order, it is too late to help the 15 people that have taken their own lives in Alabama鈥檚 care.听 We can only hope this ruling will impress upon ADOC the need to address its failings and immediately take steps to protect the lives of the people in its custody. The time has long since come for ADOC to comply with its constitutional obligations.鈥澨�听

In January, the 澳彩开奖 (澳彩开奖) and the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP) asked for immediate intervention to prevent suicides in ADOC after 13 suicides had occurred in Alabama鈥檚 prisons since December 2017.听 Since then, there have been three more suicides in ADOC鈥檚 custody.听 The court鈥檚 ruling came after a two-week trial.听听

鈥淎t trial we showed that ADOC is, in effect, deliberately indifferent to its deliberate indifference,鈥� said Anil Mujumdar, attorney with Zarzaur, representing the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP). 鈥淭hat is to say as an institution, they don't care that they don't care.听 Although many individuals employed with ADOC work hard every day and perform their jobs admirably, the culture of the agency needs to change completely for prison conditions to improve in Alabama.鈥�

鈥淔or far too long, our state鈥檚 prison officials have failed to provide the most basic of mental health services. They have failed to preserve life,鈥� said James Tucker, executive director of the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program. 鈥淭he court鈥檚 orders make clear that state officials must value the lives of those they are entrusted to serve, and know their actions will be scrutinized by the court and the public.鈥� 听

This opinion addresses only immediate relief in response to the ongoing pervasive inadequacies in ADOC鈥檚 suicide-prevention efforts and does not address solutions that will take longer to implement and will be addressed at a later date.

Judge Thompson has ordered Defendants to take many immediate steps to bring down the risk of suicide, including:

路听听听听听听 Having adequately trained people conducting suicide risk assessments for people who are potentially suicidal;

路听听听听听听 Placing people who are suicidal, or who are potentially suicidal but have not yet been assessed, on suicide watch;

路听听听听听听 Reviewing suicide risk assessments to determine if the personnel conducting them are doing them appropriately;

路听听听听听听 Following up with people released from suicide watch;

路听听听听听听 Requiring consideration for referral to a mental health unit for people on suicide watch for extended periods;

路听听听听听听 Limiting sending people from suicide watch to segregation;

路听听听听听听 Enforcing ADOC鈥檚 policy of correctional officers doing rounds in segregation every 30 minutes;

路听听听听听听 Cutting people down immediately and starting life-saving measures when staff find a person in the process of attempting suicide.

The court also ordered monitoring to ensure compliance with the order.听 听

Link to the court decision:

Link to the ordered remedies:

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