A 45-year-old female inmate who attempted suicide at the Luzerne County prison last week died in the hospital Monday, her family said.
Kingston Township resident Tricia Cooper is the third female inmate to die since June, prompting her relatives and a Luzerne County official to call for answers.
“Her death should not be in vain,” said Cooper’s mother, Carol Moss.
Councilwoman Kathy Dobash said she’s been pushing for more public discussion about the prison suicides in recent weeks.
The June 8 death of inmate Brooke Griesing at the prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre was ruled a suicide after an autopsy concluded she died of asphyxia due to hanging.
County officials suspect the July 7 death of inmate Joan Rosengrant was a suicide, but the coroner’s office is still awaiting toxicology results to determine a cause. Rosengrant was found unresponsive in her cell and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
County Coroner William Lisman said Cooper was pronounced dead at 1:24 p.m. Monday, and his office will perform an autopsy.
“Immediately, red flags should be going off. Why are these suicides happening? Why are they successful, and what protocol changes need to be done?” Dobash said.
Correctional Division Head Mark Rockovich said Monday he has been working with mental health advocates to review the prison’s suicide prevention protocol, including screening performed when inmates are booked.
All corrections officers undergo suicide awareness training annually, and inmates assist officers in patrolling blocks looking for suicidal behavior — a program added in 2003 following a spike in suicides that year.
“Nothing has changed, but obviously we need to do more,” Rockovich said. “We’re looking to make changes because this is not right. It’s not normal. We want to put an end to this.”
In addition to the three deaths, there were eight attempted suicides this year to date, prison statistics show.
Seven inmates attempted suicide in 2016, but there were no suicide deaths that year, Rockovich said.
In comparison, there were three inmate suicide tries in 2015 and no deaths, according to online data posted by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, which requires county prisons to report all attempted suicides.
Family trauma
Moss and her husband, Allen, said they immediately packed up and headed to Wilkes-Barre from Florida on July 28 when her daughter and his stepdaughter, Tara Cooper, called with news that Tricia was hospitalized following a suicide attempt.
The family members say they were shocked the prison hadn’t notified them because they later learned Tricia had been transported to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital the night of July 25.
Tara said an acquaintance saw a Times Leader article about the suicide attempt by an unnamed female inmate and suspected it might be Tricia because she had appeared to be depressed lately. She said she fruitlessly called the prison for the identity of the inmate July 27 but wasn’t able to verify it was her sister until July 28.
Rockovich said Monday the person identified as next of kin by Tricia was contacted, but the contact number listed for this man was no longer accurate. The reports on Tricia’s condition initially indicated her eyes were moving and she was responsive to pain, he said.
“It was not until later Thursday (July 27) that we received reports that things were not looking good. We were starting to look for additional family members when Tara contacted us,” said Rockovich.
The Mosses also expressed frustration they were denied a copy of an incident report and details about the suicide. They said the marks on her neck were consistent with a hanging, but they want to know what item in her cell was used to commit the act and if she exhibited any signs of suicide upon booking or while lodged.
Tara said a correctional officer informed her Tricia was “not herself” in recent days.
“Tricia has a history of mental health issues,” Tara said.
Rockovich said an investigation has been under way, and he will meet with family members and determine what details can be released. He said officers discovered the suicide attempt during their periodic rounds and immediately summoned an ambulance to transport the woman to the hospital. He declined to release further details.
“We’re not trying to hide anything, but we have to make sure we’re following all procedures,” Rockovich said.
‘Got to be some good’
A retired Florida highway patrol officer, Allen Moss was surprised to learn the number of suicides occurring at the prison and wants to compare notes with other family members of the deceased.
“It’s time to reassess the evaluations as people are brought into booking and how they’re housed,” he said. “Doesn’t anybody care?”
His wife never gave up hope her daughter would beat her addiction.
Tricia has has a history of criminal charges, including retail theft, and most recently was awaiting a preliminary hearing for DUI in Hanover Township on July 9, records show. Rockovich said she was in prison on a bench warrant.
“We’re not here to put a halo on somebody who doesn’t deserve it, but she is loved very much by her family,” Allen said.
Fighting back tears, Carol Moss, a retired nurse, vowed to continue seeking answers. She said her daughter was unresponsive and on life support by the time she got to see her July 29. Tricia was restrained to the bed with a correctional officer at the door.
“I feel I’d be doing a disservice not raising my voice and just taking care of my daughter and going home,” she said. “There’s got to be some good to come out of this.”
Council’s Dobash has pushed for creation of a public committee to monitor prison operations, saying a prison task force created last year to target overcrowding meets privately.
She sent an email to her council colleagues last week urging a review of safety checks in response to county Manager C. David Pedri’s email briefing on the latest suicide try.
“This is suspicious to see so many incidents in a short period of time,” Dobash wrote. “Not enough is done to investigate.”
