Already this year, two Wyoming inmates have died from apparent suicide. The incidents have raised questions about the impact of staffing and bed shortages.
John Manuel Garcia, a 24-year-old inmate at the medium security facility in Torrington, died in January. And on February 9th Charles Edward Jones died at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi. The Wyoming Department of Corrections has contracted with the Mississippi facility to house 89 Wyoming inmates due to overcrowding.
Wyoming Department of Corrections Public Information Officer Mark Horan said both incidents are under investigation.
"With any major incident we do what's called a serious incident review," said Horan. "We look at were our protocols followed, was policy followed in dealing with the situation?"
Horan said that includes examining the circumstances leading up to the suicide, as well as the response.
"If there's any need to change anything or to make improvements, we can certainly do that," he added.
Horan said since January 1, 2014 a total of six inmates have died of apparent suicide.