39 prisoners with some form of serious mental illness placed in segregation from 2014-15, some for lengthy terms, commission learns.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A legislative commission examining the use of solitary confinement in Rhode Island heard Thursday that 39 inmates with serious mental illness had spent time in solitary confinement from 2014 through 2015, some for lengthy terms.

The prisoners in segregation suffered from bipolar disorder, borderline personality, severe depression, anxiety, and a host of other mental illnesses, Brian Adae, a lawyer with the Rhode Island Disability Law Center, told the 19-member Special Legislative Commission to Study and Assess the Use of Solitary Confinement in Rhode Island.

Adae was one of four witnesses to address the commission Thursday at the State House. The commission, created by legislation sponsored by Rep. J. Aaron Regunberg, D-Providence, first met in September. Its stated goal is to undertake a comprehensive study of the use of solitary confinement in Rhode Island, its effects and alternatives. The group plans to explore best practices used in other jurisdictions. The group intends to draft recommendations for administrative or legislative changes.

The Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston serves as the largest facility in Rhode Island dealing with mentally ill people. Those numbers have swelled since de-institutionalization, coupled with reduction in funding for community mental-health services, speakers said.

On any given day, 400 to 500 inmates in the system are diagnosed as having serious, persistent mental illness, Louis Cerbo, director of behavioral health at the corrections department, told the group.

Adae detailed cases spanning from January 2014 through late 2015. One involved a prisoner sentenced to 407 days in segregation for offenses that included self-mutilation after suffering a tremendous loss.

Another inmate was sentenced to a total of 263 days in solitary during that period, including 30 days for indecent exposure and 20 days for slicing himself. In the aftermath, the inmate reported feeling detached from himself, having trouble concentrating and experiencing diarrhea, Adae said.

Yet another prisoner, who prison officials identified as psychotic, received 190 days in solitary, Adae said. That inmate reported being delusional.

A prisoner with a history of suicide attempts was given 197 days in segregation for offenses that included relaying false information to a correctional officer and failing to comply with an order expeditiously, he said.

Alan Feinstein, a former supervising clinical psychologist for corrections, said he had observed inmates abusing mentally ill prisoners for sheer entertainment. He cited the difficulty transferring mentally ill prisoners from the general population into the forensic unit at Eleanor Slater Hospital as resulting in too many mentally ill prisoners being in segregation.

Too often, he said, transfers are based on administrative rather than clinical decisions. The desire to "keep the peace" between union brotherhoods also hinders transfers, he said.

State Mental Health Advocate Megan N. Clingham, a commission member, asked Feinstein if he believed the prisons had adequate mental-health treatment options. "I don't believe there is," Feinstein said.

Department of Corrections Director A.T. Wall said he welcomed the commission's work in exploring "How we got to the point where the Department of Corrections is responsible for the care of the mentally ill" and how to move forward given that reality.

—kmulvane@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @kmulvane