Oregon’s federal public defender said Wednesday she fears an inmate’s suicide and other reports she’s received of inmates harming themselves stem in part from the continued coronavirus lockdown at the federal prison in Sheridan.

Though Lisa Hay said she didn’t know exactly why the inmates chose to hurt themselves, she said the prisoners face unprecedented strain from having to stay in their cells with no visits from family or friends or their attorneys.

“The psychological and physical stress of the 14-day lockdown is becoming overwhelming for some of the inmates and detainees at Sheridan according to reports we are receiving,’’ said Hay, who runs the federal government’s Public Defender’s Office in Oregon.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons this week extended the lockdown through May 18.

Sheridan’s population has fallen by 17 inmates from 1,804 to 1,787 since Attorney General William Barr on April 3 ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons to review “all at-risk’’ inmates for consideration for early release, according to Hay.

She said that’s not enough and has called on the warden of the sole federal prison in Oregon to alert the U.S. District Court that inmates over 65, who face a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus, are eligible for compassionate release.

A judge would then decide case by case -- without having to wait 30 days for the warden’s decision on a defendant’s eligibility as is required under federal law. One of the compassionate release motions that Hay has filed for an inmate was rejected by a judge, who found the inmate hadn’t exhausted that 30-day administrative step through the warden of the Sheridan prison.

“Instead of going through that long administrative review process, which they don’t have the staff to accomplish right now, they should send those directly to the courts,’’ Hay said.

Inmates are locked in their cells now, she said, and have “almost no ability to request compassionate release’’ from the warden themselves.

“This is a crisis,’’ Hay said. “We need many hands helping before the coronavirus infects those at Sheridan.’’

Federal prosecutors in Oregon have argued in cases that have already made it to court that the 30-day requirement for a warden to respond to an inmate’s petition for compassionate release is important to obtain and review an inmate’s medical records and give victims a chance to weigh in.

No inmate or staff at the prison in Sheridan is known to have tested positive. Nationwide, 451 federal inmates and 280 federal prison staff have confirmed COVID-19 cases and 16 inmates have died from the disease, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

A map showing the locations of federal prisons or regional re-entry centers, better known as halfway houses, where either staff or inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Hay said she was disturbed by a suicide at the prison early Monday.

She also has received reports from other inmates at Sheridan of two inmates who severely cut themselves – one who slashed himself in the neck, she said.

It’s not known if the lockdown played any role in Brian Cluff’s decision to kill himself. He was found unresponsive in his cell and an autopsy found that he died by hanging. The FBI is investigating.

The 47-year-old Idaho man had been in custody at Sheridan since last December serving a sentence of 26 years and 10 months for conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine and gun possession.

Suicide rates increased from 8.1 per 100,000 federal inmates in fiscal 2016 to 14.7 per 100,000 inmates in fiscal 2018, with 66 inmates who died from suicide during that time, according to the bureau. Information on number of suicides at the prison in Sheridan wasn’t immediately available.

No one at the prison or from the Bureau of Prisons responded to requests for information about steps being taken to prevent inmates from hurting themselves.

Sue Allison, a spokeswoman for the prisons bureau, said three inmates have died by suicide in federal-operated facilities since Jan. 1. The Bureau is providing "enhanced screening'' of inmates placed in quarantine or isolation due to confirmed COVID-19 or high-risk exposure, with a psychologist required to see an inmate within 24 hours of their placement in such conditions.

"Inmate suicide prevention remains a high priority and anytime inmates report or are suspected of being at elevated risk of suicide, a suicide risk assessment is completed consistent with the Bureau suicide prevention policy,'' Allison said. "A portion of the Bureau inmates are classified as needing frequent, routine treatment. Psychologists continue to monitor these inmates closely and ensure they are being seen on a regular basis.

On its website, the agency says it “recognizes that incarceration can be stressful for both inmates and their family members” and that the agency works to educate its staff and inmates on suicide prevention.

According to the bureau, when an inmate arrives at a prison, they’re given information about mental health services available.

“The BOP's suicide rate is lower than that of the United States population as a whole, however, one life lost is one too many,’’ its website says.

On Wednesday, the Office of the Inspector General also announced it will be starting “remote inspections’’ at various Bureau of Prisons facilities, to ensure the agency is complying with the government’s guidance and best practices to prevent and contain a coronavirus outbreak behind bars. The goal is to assist the Bureau of Prisons in "mitigating the health risks arising from the pandemic,'' according to the Inspector General’s office.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.

Subscribe to Facebook page

Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter