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DOC outlines suicide‑prevention assessment and rising health‑care and maintenance costs
Summary
DOC briefed the House Finance subcommittee on a National Commission on Correctional Health Care assessment of 13 institutions that identified changes to reduce in‑custody suicides; staff said they cannot confirm a 20% national reduction goal was met and will provide precise death counts, while also warning health‑care costs and aging facilities are increasing budget pressures.
DOC staff told the House Finance subcommittee they completed an assessment across all 13 institutions with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care to identify deficiencies and recommendations to reduce in‑custody suicides.
Travis Welch and Deputy Commissioner April Wilkerson said the assessment recommended a mix of near‑term, lower‑cost changes—such as replacing or modifying fixtures (for example, covering sprinkler components that could be used in self‑harm)—and longer‑term capital improvements. Welch said the department has a team reviewing the report to prioritize recommendations.
The presentation referenced a national goal of reducing in‑custody suicides by 20 percent for calendar year 2025; Welch told the committee DOC could not confirm meeting that national 20% goal and said DOC will provide the committee with its in‑custody death counts and cause categories available online.
“In the calendar year '25...I can't say that we met the goal of reducing by 20 percent,” Welch said, and DOC committed to provide specific in‑custody death data to the committee.
Wilkerson also called out increasing health‑care costs—dental, chronic conditions and mental‑health services—as a continuing budget pressure paid from general funds, along with facility maintenance costs caused by aging infrastructure and parts scarcity that in some cases require manufactured replacements.
DOC said it is continuing suicide‑prevention work and will provide the committee with the completed assessment and recommended priorities on request.
