Bibb County Jail inmate died hours after mental health evaluation
Georgia’s MACON (41NBC/WMGT) After an inmate at Bibb County Jail was discovered unconscious in his cell on Monday night, the sheriff’s office opened an investigation.
Sheriff David Davis said that after all inmates were secured for the night, 41-year-old Wesley Gautney was discovered in his cell. Gautney was declared dead at Atrium Health Navicent approximately an hour later.
“Anytime someone commits suicide, it’s a tragic incident or situation,” he said, adding that it’s frequently hard to understand what people go through before making such decisions.
River Edge mental health specialists had assessed Gautney earlier that day and concluded he was stable enough to be sent back to the cellblock.
According to Davis, they spoke with him and decided it was safe for him to return to the block.
River Edge’s Chief Clinical Officer, Frederica McClary-Myers, described the procedures for prisoners who are having serious mental health crises. Isolation in a specific section of the jail’s hospital is one of these measures.
According to her, we do visit the person every day to continue evaluating their level of suicidality and homicidality.
River Edge typically houses 100 prisoners each month, many of whom find it difficult to adjust to life behind bars.
According to Myers, “we see a good amount of severe persistent mental illnesses for individuals, as well as a lot of depression.”
She also talked about how important it is for the community and family to help prisoners.
“Contact and communication with their loved one while they are incarcerated is important because mental health is real and places can amplify our symptomology,” she said. It’s useful to be able to hear them and ask how they’re doing. encouragement and simply keeping the lines of communication open.
