William Arthur Keely had tried to harm himself a few months ago and was in the K- block at the Oakland County Jail, a stepped-up observation unit for inmates with mental health issues.
Deputies patrol the unit of all single cells with glass windows, but Keely, 65, still managed to take his own life in the early hours of April 27.
‘We have an ongoing investigation,? said Undersheriff Michael McCabe. ‘Sometimes people kill themselves in correctional facilities. We’ve had eight suicides in 20 years, you won’t find another county jail our size with that few suicides.?
Oakland University Sociology Professor Jay Meehan, who also directs the criminal justice program at OU, confirms that jail suicides are rare. He cites 2002 Bureau of Justice statistics that record 47 suicides per 100,000 inmates. In state prisons, the rate is even lower? 14 suicides per 100,000 inmates.
‘If you look over the years, particularly in jails, there is a fairly substantial decrease in the number of suicides, because there are more and more procedures and technology makes it easier to monitor inmates,? Meehan said. ‘You get smarter, and that’s all you can ask. If (an inmate) is really intent on taking their life, they will find a way to do it.?
Meehan noted that Keely, a former Brandon Township resident awaiting trial for the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, fit the profile for a jail suicide? he was a white male, over 55, facing a lengthy prison sentence as a violent offender.
Meehan explains that everyone brought into jail is screened for risk assessment, including a psychological exam. Keely was assessed as a risk, but even under heightened observation, carried out his suicide.
While a lawsuit by Keely’s family against Oakland County is certainly possible, Meehan acknowledged, success is not likely.
‘Unless you could show real negligence, the long-term data shows they do a good job of suicide prevention,? he said. ‘Proving negligence would be difficult.?