About fifteen years ago or so, a program was proposed by an inmate by the name of Andy Geiger in response to the high rate of prison suicides. It was dubbed the “Companion Program.” Before Andy was released from prison, he even received a special commendation medal from the warden for his work. The Companion Program began as a volunteer program, but Companions now receive a small stipend each month.
When a person indicates they might be suicidal, they are put into a small cell equipped with just the bare essentials … a toilet/sink combination and a plastic bed that is firmly anchored to the ground. They are given a quilted, rubberized blanket, and a “smock” made out of the same material that barely covers them. They are kept under observation, and a clinician comes to see them once a day. If the clinician determines the crisis is over, they will either be returned to “normal” or placed on “close observation” (sort of a step-down process).
In 2010, frustrated after having seen far too many people I know end their lives all too soon, I became one of the “Companions.” The job of a Companion is to sit at a table outside of the room, and keep a constant eye on the “patient”— logging their activity on a special form every five minutes. Whenever possible, we will also talk with the patient. Most of the time we act as a “sounding board,” allowing them to talk through the situation they are in.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of inmates who use the Companion Program to manipulate the system. Sometimes they will claim they are suicidal so they can get moved from where they are living without going into Protective Custody. Other times, it is simply a lonely inmate looking for attention. Those cases often frustrate those of us who take the program seriously.
However, from personal experience, I know that a person needing attention should be taken seriously. A few years back, a dear friend of mine was struggling, and staff was ignoring him. Finally, after being placed in a phone booth-sized cage for preparation to be placed in the “hole,” my friend wrapped one leg of his jeans around his neck and the other over an overhanging bar.
I knew him well. He’d done similar things in the past. He didn’t really want to hurt himself … he just wanted someone to listen to him. But nobody checked on him for 48 minutes. He was gone when they finally did.
The Idaho prison system has a very high rate of suicides. I shudder to think of what it would be without the Companion Program. I believe there is such a high rate because Idaho is a very conservative state. There is little tolerance for those who are gay or transgender. And the only answer for sex offenders (regardless of the details or seriousness of the crime) is to put them away in prison for as long as possible.
Not many prisons in the country even have such a thing as the Companion Program. I wish more did. It may not be the final answer. But, if nothing else, it helps raise awareness of the overall problem. And, at the very least, it will help keep a few struggling inmates alive long enough for someone to convince them there actually are some who care.
