By C1 Staff
CHILLICOTHE — Two inmates recently came to the aid of another when he attempted to kill himself at the Ross County Jail, but staff are saying the good deed will have little impact on how their cases are considered.
Chillicothe Gazette reports that a man jailed on a juvenile court warrant for nonsupport tried to hang himself in one of the jail’s male housing units. Two other inmates quickly responded to the man’s cell and performed CPR until a jail nurse arrived.
“Even though they are prisoners, they are still an extra set of eyes when it comes to security,” Ross County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Mike Preston said.
Jail staff check on prisoners on a regular basis, and money has been invested in extra cameras to monitor the cell block areas. Attempts are made to segregate inmates who might be suicidal for closer monitoring, but despite the effort, some still slip through the cracks.
Another inmate earlier in the year tried to hang himself with a sheet around his neck and was saved by fellow inmates who stopped him from jumping from the second-floor walkway rail.
Even with these lifesaving actions, it’s unlikely that they will be taken into consideration when their case is considered in court.
“Someone in jail facing criminal charges will ask for anything,” Ross County Prosecutor Mike Schmidt said.
Though it’s possible for an inmate’s defense attorney to use an act such as saving the life of another inmate as evidence of good behavior in pursuing leniency with a judge, Schmidt could not recall any recent case of an inmate doing so.
“It is usually not something we take into consideration. It doesn’t count as a reduction of what their crime is.”