Stephen Gurr Staff Writer Inmate suicides sometimes can't be avoided even with extensive training and procedural policy, say sheriffs and experts who have dealt with jailhouse deaths. Clarke County officials ''did the best they could do'' to prevent suicides at the jail. Clarke County Chief Deputy Gene Mayes said the jail follows written procedure for keeping at-risk inmates under suicide watch, should red flags arise during medical intake examinations or from inmates' behavior. Watson, who was fighting extradition to North Carolina in connection with the stabbing death of a Greensboro woman, didn't show those warning signs, sheriff's officials said.
Berry knows first-hand the problems suicide attempts can cause a sheriff.
In December 1999, a rape suspect hanged himself with a bed sheet but survived, landing in intensive care for nearly two weeks. In his five years as sheriff, Berry has seen three suicide attempts in his jail. We increased our number of security checks, and we tried to place people in different classifications'' according to their conditions, Conway said. Hayes said about two-thirds of all suicidal inmates make their intentions known, either verbally or through their behavior. A jailer shouldn't drop his guard simply because an inmate answers ''no'' when asked during a medical screening if he's suicidal, Hayes said.