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NH DOC considers putting inmates in charge of suicide watch

In federal and state facilities that have used a similar model, inmate observers have received training

By C1 Staff

NEW HAMPSHIRE — New Hampshire Department of Corrections is considering allowing trained inmates to conduct suicide watches to help with ongoing staff shortages.

Commissioner William Wrenn told the Concord Monitor he hopes to see a proposal by the end of the month.

“We have inmates trying to show positive change in their lives, they want to help others, and these are good areas for them to be involved in,” Wrenn said.

Corrections officers are currently assigned to the watches, which can last several hours and require in-person checks every 15 minutes.

In federal and state facilities that have used a similar model, inmate observers have received training and are taught not to counsel those being watched.

A study published in 2005 by the American Psychological Association found that inmates being observed by trained peers spent less overall time on suicide watch than those being observed by corrections officers.

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