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Five Prisoner Deaths In Eighteen Months

By Matt Clarke

The deaths of five prisoners in 18 months might pass without notice in a large jail system, but that many deaths at the 270-bed Portage County jail, located about 30 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio, raised red flags.

An investigation by the Cleveland Plain Dealer revealed that Matthew P. DiBease, 29; Amanda Michael, 32; Kenneth R. Mantell, 26; Mark D. Shaver, 32; and Joshua D. McDaniel, 25, all Portage County jail prisoners, died during an 18-month period ending in mid-October 2011. DiBease, Michael and Mantell had all committed suicide by hanging.

Three suicides within 18 months at a 270-bed jail “far exceeds” the average for suicides in a facility that size, according to Lindsay Hayes, executive director of the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, which conducts research on suicides in custody. Hayes noted that such a high rate should have “set off alarms with the sheriff and jail administration.”

David W. Doak, Sheriff of Portage County since he was first elected in 2008, said that although his department had increased suicide prevention training for jailers, it is difficult to assess who is a suicide risk because prisoners aren’t always honest with medical staff who perform risk evaluations.

“When someone makes up their mind to hurt themselves, that’s a real difficult thing to deal with,” he stated.

Doak defended his reduction in jail staff against accusations that the staffing cuts created an unsafe environment at the facility, noting that budgetary considerations had forced the reductions. The Ohio Patrolman’s Benevolent Association argued against the cuts in 2010, but an arbitrator upheld the sheriff’s right to determine staffing levels at the jail.

Whatever the case, the fact remains that DiBease, who informed jail medical staff that he took medication for a bipolar disorder, hung himself with a sheet on October 29, 2011, less than a day after being booked into the facility for failing to appear at a court hearing.

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Attention Bloggers: Prison Law Blog Seeks Submissions

Are you a blogger, author, website administrator, attorney, paralegal, prison consultant, or academic who produces content about prisoner’s rights, prison law, or prison in general?  If so, the Prison Law Blog wants to hear from you! As a multi-disciplinary, community-based publication, the Prison Law Blog is always seeking input from our readers and fellow prison

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Peninsula College's Instructor for Prisons Hailed as 'Champion of Change' at White House

By Arwyn Rice

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama recognized Brian Walsh, director of corrections education for Peninsula College, as one of 10 “Champions of Change” in an hour long White House panel and ceremony Thursday.  Brain Walsh / Image courtesy peninsuladailynews.com

“We are here to recognize people who are making extraordinary contributions to their communities,” Obama said.

The award was created through the Connect­Ed Initiative to celebrate educators who are taking creative approaches in using technology to enhance learning for students throughout the nation.

The panel and ceremony was streamed live online on the White House website, and about 50 students and Peninsula College staff gathered in the student center to watch the panel and awards.

The president said that technology and the Internet are the future of education, but first, someone has to try different ways of implementing the tools.

“We’re learning from you, seeing what works, what makes an impact,” he said.

Before Obama spoke, Walsh sat on a panel with four other award recipients to discuss the challenges and advantages of introducing technology in the classroom.

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