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Sheriff says recent jail suicide attempt reveals bunk gap that needs repair
Summary
After a near‑fatal suffocation attempt by an inmate, sheriff’s staff told commissioners they will pursue repairs to cell bunks where inmates have been able to fashion nooses from bedding.
WAGONER COUNTY, Okla. — Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott told the board on March 3 that a recent, serious suicide attempt at the county detention center revealed a recurring safety risk tied to a gap between bunk beds and the cell wall.
Sheriff Elliott said officers performing an additional site check discovered an inmate hanging from a blanket fashioned into a noose and were able to remove the material and summon medical help. “We were able to get in and save that person,” Elliott said. He and jail administrator Brian Russell said the incident was reported to the Oklahoma Department of Health and the inmate was transported to a hospital and cleared for custody.
Brian Russell told commissioners the county routinely conducts checks more often than state minimums — ‘‘we do it a minimum of twice an hour’’ compared with the state standard of once every 60 minutes — and that more frequent checks likely prevented a death. Russell said the inmate had been in custody about 30 days and had recently received distressing information by phone.
Russell and the sheriff said the county has identified a consistent method used in recent attempts: inmates rip blankets to create a cord, loop the material in a tight space behind the bunk and apply weight. “We know we have to eliminate the gap between the bed and the wall,” Russell said; he asked commissioners to let jail staff, facilities and county construction‑knowledgeable commissioners view the bunks and recommend repair options.
No formal action was requested at the meeting; the sheriff’s office said it will return with a recommended repair plan and cost estimate after consulting technical staff and commissioners who volunteered to inspect the facility.
Why it matters: The sheriff framed the episode as an urgent operations and safety matter with predictable, preventable risk. County leadership praised officers who discovered the attempt and said they will pursue a physical fix in addition to the frequent checks already in place.
What's next: Sheriff Elliott and jail staff will present repair options and estimated costs to the board in a future meeting and invited commissioners to inspect the bunks in person.
