Allen County Sheriff speaks out about mental health issues at Allen County Jail following apparent suicide on Wednesday

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – The Allen County Sheriff is speaking out about mental health issues at the Allen County Jail after another inmate apparently committed suicide Wednesday.

BACKGROUND: Inmate in Allen County Jail apparently dies by suicide; investigation ongoing

So far, five people have died in prison in the past year. Three of these five deaths were suicides.

Allen County Sheriff Troy Hershberger says he can't solve this problem alone.

“This is very stressful for me. Constitutionally, I am responsible for the prison,” said Sheriff Hershberger. “I've said this many times, but I don't want people to die in prison.”

According to Sheriff Hershberger, 44 inmates at the prison are currently being treated for acute mental health issues.

The prison currently uses an external medical provider to provide psychiatric treatment to all 44 inmates.

Sheriff Hershberger says that after every death, he thinks about what, if anything, could have been done differently.

He says he is running out of options when it comes to caring for mentally ill prisoners.

“Other than hiring a full medical staff, which I don’t have the budget for, I don’t know what else to do at this point,” said Sheriff Hersberger.

Sheriff Hershberger says he would like to have an open conversation with mental health professionals about the challenges he faces.

“We're not the only community struggling with this,” said Sheriff Hershberger. “It seems like the jail is becoming a dumping ground for everything.”

21Alive asked Sheriff Hershberger if he thought the criminal justice system was broken when it came to dealing with mentally ill inmates.

Sheriff Hershberger said, “There is no doubt that the system needs to be improved.”

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, Indiana has a 24/7 mental health crisis hotline that you can reach by calling 9-8-8. For more information, visit Here.