AUBURN — A 52-year-old inmate from Lewiston committed suicide Saturday while under observation at the Androscoggin County Jail.
Corrections officers inside the jail discovered the man at 1:04 p.m. He had hanged himself with pieces of a ripped bedsheet, Sheriff Guy Desjardins said. Paramedics rushed the man to Central Maine Medical Center, where he died.
The sheriff's office did not release the man's identity, pending notification of next of kin.
Desjardins said the man had health issues. On Friday, guards put him under observation because he was suspected of not taking his prescribed medication. He was moved to a cell near the jail's central booking area and given periodic checks.
They did not classify him as a suicide risk, Desjardins said.
Minutes after Saturday's suicide, the Sheriff's Department began a preliminary investigation.
Other agencies also will be examining what happened. Calls went out to the District Attorney's Office and the Maine Attorney General's Office, Desjardins said. And Maine State Police will be charged with doing a more thorough examination.
“We investigate all deaths in any of Maine's prisons and jails,” said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The investigation will address how a person under observation could succeed in such an act, Desjardins said. Police will likely interview staff, study logs and examine other records.
The observation cells are located in a high-traffic area of the jail. They sit along a small corridor between central booking, where all new inmates are taken, and the control room where locks are controlled and video cameras are monitored.
The death marks the second suicide in the 20-year-old jail. The first occurred shortly after the jail opened in 1990.
“We've had several attempts in recent years,” the sheriff said. “But those people made it.”
The former jail, which was razed last fall, had been notorious.
Suicide attempts were common as the small facility with floor-to-ceiling bars grew overcrowded. During a 10-day period in March 1988, four people tried to commit suicide and three succeeded.
Report a correction
If there was a crime
If there was a crime
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Here We Go Again!
Am encouraged over the sensibilities of the blogs...Expecting the usual "good riddance," I was pleasantly surprised and wondered if the public is finally getting the message that prison and jails are dangerous places, not so much from other prisoners but from staff...
As a former State Legislator and Chaplain at Maine State Prison, I invite you to visit my web site for other Maine prison stories of interest...
Stan Moody
www.stanmoody.com
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Stan Moody: A former state
Stan Moody: A former state legislator (because politicians never lie) and MSP chaplin believing that the prisoners are innocent and they are being hurt by the officers, so they must be in prison for helping the elderly cross the street, hello...they are in prison for a crime, a crime they committed not the officers, would everyone feel safer if there were no prisons or jail and let these people run around in society so the prisoners dont get hurt and allow these prisoners to hurt the innocent or the innocent children of our society
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.trubble, I don't know where you get off
making such outlandish claims. NO ONE said inmates don't belong in prison, all we're saying is being in prison is the punishment, not mistreatment from guards. And we don't know if there was any wrongdoing in this case, and we'll never know. We should not allow the system to judge itself, what is needed is an impartial civilian panel to investigate. So get off your high horse and behave like a human.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.how are they being mistreated
how are they being mistreated by the guards TRON, because he never indicated suicide? then why do police investigate crimes? civilians should investigate right? even if they are not trained right? Maine Stae Police will do their job, investigate the crime at hand,
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.We don't know and we'll never know
not as long as they're allowed to investigate themselves.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Did you read the article Tron?
"Other agencies also will be examining what happened. Calls went out to the District Attorney's Office and the Maine Attorney General's Office, Desjardins said. And Maine State Police will be charged with doing a more thorough examination."
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.and you don't consider
those all part of the same system? Man are you in fantasy land.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.suicide
It seems as though most of you are so quick to judge the officers of the jail when you have no idea what it is like to work with inmates who have committed serious offenses such as murder, manslaughter, rape, spousal abuse, child molestation, and so on. This inmate did not make comments that he wanted to commit suicide therefore he was not placed on a suicide watch. He was in Observation for not taking his meds. someone commented about him being in observation for not taking meds so it was safe to say he was at risk...i ask this person if they knew what meds they were taking that he refused do they know if they were anti psychotic drugs? or diabetes medicine? he was being observed at med pass that he was taking his meds and not giving them to other inmates, what a lot of you are doing is being prejudice ( pre-judging) If you have never been a corrections officer please dont judge.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Thinking Man
How would i become like tron ive bloged four times in 10 months
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Imposible i work 70 hours a
Imposible i work 70 hours a week. I only rip on the bain of society.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.tron
There is always a problem with Tron. Ill bet he's a cold hearted criminal who hates police because a misguidng upbrining that most likey runs in the family. Tron why do you not like law? Are u in the Maine Militia? Has law enforcement taken your family down? Meth lab? Maybe marijuana farm? Did you move to Maine because there is less police but have found that they gravitate to crime just as fast as any other state? I just don't get you attitude?
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.crank, you need to tone it
crank, you need to tone it down or risk becoming just like tron...and there is no way he could EVER be considered part of a militia, that would require leaving his home, and most militia members work, pay taxes and CONTRIBUTE to society other than by blogging. He was raised right here in Lewiston and I doubt he ever ran a meth lab or marijuana farm, that would violate his disability and other social assistance that he receives. My new theory is he always wanted to be a cop but the only part of the tesr he passed was "donut & coffee break".
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.suicide
if some one wants to kill themselves they will get it done nomatter what. its the drones who cry suicide all day that never do it.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Don't jump to conclusions
Tron, How foolish are you to think that any sheriff, no matter who it is, or any police chief or fire chief for that matter, is personally supervising their staff in person 24/7. It is tragic for the family, and those involved that day that this man decided to end his life, whether in the jail or at any other time or place.
The question for the investigators though. is: Were there policies in place for the well being of those in the jail, and were those policies adhered to in the care of this man. No state police detective or attorney-general's investigator is going to risk their reputation in covering up wrongdoing in this incident or any other. It's too bad that you feel there is some sort of a conspiricy out there putting our citizens at risk. Let's wait and see what they have to report when they are done with their investigation before we point the finger of blame at those who perform their jobs every day in a very stressful atmosphere.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Sheriff
I think Sheriff Desjardins has done and is doing a great job. There is no need of some of your dumb comments. They just show how ignorant some people are.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Once again, troll leaps to
Once again, troll leaps to judgement before knowing the whole story, just shows his distain for law enforcement. For a guy who posts some of the strangest things here and openly seems to be looking for a fight, I'm not sure he should be so critical of a police department that might soon have to rescue him from his own words...
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.We should wait for the investigations, WHY?
the results are already known. The people investigating the incident are all inter-connected. I will guarantee no one will be charged with any crime in this case. Unless a ruckus is made, no one will ever be reprimanded. Where were you during this whole incident? Were your deputies choking themselves, harassing females, duct taping each other or what? The workings of the ASD has been a joke. And you've never taken responsibility ever, not even in this case. We're cruel to the family? How much more cruel were we when you clowns allowed this person to hang himself, and die? Spare us your phony outrage and do the right thing. Accept responsibility.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.troll, they call it SUICIDE
troll, they call it SUICIDE for a reason - duh!
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Respect
I’m sure many may suggest against my responding to blogs and may not be in the best interest for me as Sheriff to do so. I should not allow idiotic, foolish and demoralizing statements made by someone that has little or no knowledge of the subject at hand bother me. But the blogs published on April 11th, 2010 on the Sun/Journal website were just plain cruel, not only to the family and friends of the deceased, but also to all members of my organization.
It is apparent that the authors never experienced the loss of human life while in ones arms, if he or she did; I suspect you would have never made such a disgusting comment. The men and women that are charged with maintaining the safety and security of our county jail have a responsibility that very few of our citizens could ever imagine or even experience or would they ever care to. Our corrections officers perform a vital service that is key to the success of maintaining law and order that we as citizens all enjoy within our respective communities. If it were not for their services, where would our criminal justice system be?
If I could make a very strong suggestion to MAROONED and TRON, whoever you may be, why don’t you first allow the process and investigation to take its course and at the end, take the time to make an educated and positive comment. If that is so impossible then I would suggest to just allow those in public service to do their job and you can sit back and enjoy the protection that they provide.
For me, I will stand fast in making any judgment until a complete and thorough investigation has been conducted by the Attorney Generals Office and the Maine State Police, evaluate their findings and then, and only then, respond accordingly. But for now, there is one thing we can all do, keep our thoughts and prayers to the family of the deceased and the members of our corrections staff that were on duty on April 10th, 2010.
Guy P. Desjardins, Sheriff
Androscoggin Sheriff’s Office
Office Number – 784-7361 ext. 230.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Thank you Sheriff Desjardins
for setting the idiots on here straight. If this inmate killed himself, then no one will be charged and his family will grieve. The chances of the police "murdering" this individual is highly unlikely and it irks me that anyone would jump to that conclusion this early in the investigation! Gees.
We all feel for this man's family, of course.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I agree, tron has a clear
I agree, tron has a clear bias against law enforcement, probably due to his past, but he'll deny that too. I can only hope the police are their to assist when he truly needs their help. Mr. desjardins, hang your head high and stand by your department.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Quoting Desjardins
Must be an election year. Otherwise, Desjardins wouldn't have been available for any sound-bite quotes. Typical of him.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Observation????
Sorry but I don't know what they were observing ; the back of their eyelids, pictures on a computer or cell phone? Well, I bet they had time to fill in bogus info before the authorities were called in. No need to be so slack as to give a person time to hang themselves. If he was on watch because he wasn't taking his meds, then it might be safe to say that the person was a risk to himself. Poor work performance if you ask me.....
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.well mimil no one asked you,
well mimil no one asked you, unless you have been a correctional officer, dont make comments on a subject you are unfamiliar with
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Sort of like the incident of
Sort of like the incident of the roy girl at the big apple when they knew the store would be robbed they pulled thier crusier in the back of a building so it could not be seen only forgot that they could not see the store either DUH! another excerpt from the keystone cops.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Was under observation???
Should have duct taped him to the floor dummies, if you can't "observe" him properly!!!!
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.wouldnt you then say it was
wouldnt you then say it was cruel and unusual punishment duct taping an inmate for his safety
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.One has to wonder
if anyone will be charged in this death. What am I saying, they're investigating themselves so I'm sure they'll all be exonerated. Gotta say though, must be an excellent reason to re-elect the Sheriff.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Read the Story
The State Police are the primary investigators in matters like these. While the Sheriff will conduct an investigation the final decision on exoneration will be made by the State Police.
- Permalink
- Is this comment inappropriate?
Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.