Other than when Elvis Presley rocked the musical jailhouse he was in, an environment behind bars often gets a bum rap.
But Sequoyah County Jail Administrator Jeremy Day knows any negative connotation is not always warranted.
Such was the case of a pre-Christmas incident that could have ended in a very different way.
“We had an inmate last Saturday who tried to hang himself,” Day reported last Wednesday during the county commissioners’ meeting. “Luckily, our tower operators were on top of things.”
The inmate who attempted suicide was caught while he was trying to climb the railing on one of the jail’s upper floors. A quick response by a detention officer Susan Clancy, as well as assistance by two nearby inmates — Phillip Tisdale and Zachary Rodgers, both of Sallisaw — prevented tragedy.
“Another inmate got him down [off the railing], and then the inmate on the ground was holding him,” Day explained.
Day said the inmate who attempted suicide never lost consciousness, but acknowledged that the season as well as mental health issues often present in a jail were likely contributing factors.
“I’m glad that we had a tower operator that was paying attention and caught it quick. He was down within a couple of seconds.”
The inmate, who had been in the jail about an hour, was not initially on suicide watch.
“He had just gotten brought in. He’s on suicide watch now, but he didn’t meet the criteria [when he was initially processed]. He was just a new inmate. Hadn’t been there an hour, hour and a half,” Day told the commissioners.
“He was put in a cell. Then he used a blanket, tied it around the rail and tried to go over — well, did go over. But again, staff did a good job. Inmates that were back there also assisted.”
While the outcome was a positive one, District 3 Commissioner Jim Rogers knows there’s a fine line that separates tragedy from fortune.
“The crazy thing is, with us doing everything right, if that had transpired, we’d have a major lawsuit coming,” he said of the suicide attempt.
Day again praised Clancy’s work ethic and attention to her duties.
“The girl working the tower, I can come out a door to come to the hallway. Before I ever get to that door, she hits that buzzer [to release the lock on the door]. I don’t have to use a key, she’s on top of it. She knows where every staff member is, knows what door needs open, she watches the camera. She’s an exceptional employee. She just got hired in June, and has not missed one day.”
Clancy was also praised by District 2 Commissioner Beau Burlison.
“It would be real easy for her to have her guard down, having to work the holiday, moping around, doing those things. And she’s on top of it.
“Your lady in the tower did a great job. As far as inmates go, not all people are bad that are in there.”
And Day agreed. “Three-quarters of the inmates that are in there are not bad people. They’ve just made poor life choices,” Day said. “And I stress that when I hire somebody. These are still people. A lot of them just make poor life choices. And there’s still people who are innocent in jail, too.”
Sheriff Larry Lane, emphasizing the good in all people, also recalled an incident when an inmate “jumped on one of our former female jailers and had her down. And before another jailer could get to her, there were two more inmates that jumped on that inmate and got him off of her.”
While Day said he hopes to do something special for the two inmates that provided assistance to help avert tragedy, the commissioners also said they want to personally show their appreciation to Clancy as well as to Tisdale and Rodgers.
“Sometimes, you’ve just gotta be willing to give them a chance,” Rogers says of those who may find themselves incarcerated, but who step up, especially during a crisis, and turn their life around.
