11/04/2005

The Saratogian (Saratoga, NY)
By JIM KINNEY

Bowen says Regan gave no warning

MILTON, NY - John F. Regan was evaluated for his risk of suicide when he arrived at Saratoga County Jail and didn't raise any red flags, Sheriff James D. Bowen said Thursday.

Regan, who turned 49 Thursday, attempted suicide by hanging himself with a bed sheet strung through the bunk bed in his cell. He did not leave a suicide note.

He'd been checked by a corrections officer at 10:50 a.m., the sheriff said. Another officer found him hanging at 10:59 a.m.

Regan was treated at Saratoga Hospital and was conscious and alert by 3 p.m. Thursday.

'Everybody here at the Sheriff's department did their job,' Bowen said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. 'It's a tough job. It's very upsetting when something like this happens. It's upsetting for the families of people who do this, and it's upsetting for the staff.'

This isn't the first such incident at Saratoga County Jail. In May 2004, James H. Pecor, 25, of Mechanicville killed himself by hanging himself with a bed sheet. A state oversight panel, the Commission on Corrections, issued a report in January 2005 critical of the doctor who then served as jail physician. The state said the jail improperly cut the dosages of psychiatric medications Pecor was receiving.

Pecor's family has a suit pending against the county in federal court. His was the third suicide in the jail's 13-year-history.

In 2002, inmate Douglas Rose died after a fight with another inmate. The other inmate was later cleared by grand jurors, who ruled it self-defense. Those jurors did accuse a guard, who resigned, of lying about his whereabouts. Grand jurors also called for video cameras and other changes at the jail, including more staff, more supervision and better CPR training.

Bowen said that he is reviewing videotapes of Regan's cell block Thursday as part of the department's investigation.

The state Commission on Corrections will also investigate Regan's suicide attempt, spokeswoman Jessica Scaperatti said. She had no further details.

Bowen said Regan was being held in the jail's medical unit, standard procedure for inmates during their first 72 hours in the jail.

The medical unit has 16 cells, each 8 feet by 10 feet, furnished with a bed and toilet and closed with a door that has a large window.

'There are no bars here,' Bowen said.

Regan was in his cell but not locked in. He had access to a common area.

During his time at the jail, he had visitors in addition to his lawyer.

Bowen said there were 13 or 14 inmates in the medical unit Thursday. The total jail population was 139 inmates and 18 guards.

The corrections officer assigned to the unit where Regan was held is assigned just to that unit and must be relieved by another officer if he or she leaves, Bowen said. Standard procedure is to check each inmate in 15-minute intervals and note that check in writing.

The guard checked Regan at 10:50 a.m. and noted nothing out of the ordinary. That guard was relieved, and a second guard found Regan hanging at 10:59.

Bowen said there are worksheets showing these checks but said he can't release them until the investigation is completed.

The jail has nurses on duty who rushed to Regan's aid. Malta Ambulance took him to Saratoga Hospital, with a deputy following close behind.

Regan is expected to stay in the hospital for at least a few days. He will be under 24-hour guard at Saratoga Hospital's intensive care unit with a deputy at the foot of his bed and another just outside the door, Bowen said.

When Regan is released from the hospital, he'll be evaluated by psychiatrists and might have to go to a secure psychiatric hospital, Bowen said. He said jail staffers will also re-evaluate staffing procedures at that time.