Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Attorneys say an Alabama inmate who killed himself after testifying about mental health care in prison received no counseling before taking his own life.
The lawyers made the written arguments Thursday as a federal judge considers their lawsuit, which claims that Alabama prisons provide inadequate psychiatric care.
Jamie Wallace killed himself just days after testifying in a trial earlier this month. He was serving time for murder and had a history of mental health problems.
Lawyers say Wallace talked about killing himself after testifying and was placed on suicide watch at Bullock County prison. But they say Wallace wasn’t given any counseling and hanged himself. They’re seeking new protections for troubled inmates.
The state hasn’t released details of Wallace’s death. It denies that its treatment of inmates is unconstitutional.