Central Mississippi Correctional Facility hosts suicide awareness program
The Central Mississippi Correctional Facility hosted a suicide awareness program this week focused on suicide prevention and helping incarcerated people choose life.
Three inmates who said they had attempted suicide shared their testimonies with an audience of inmates. The CMCF Inmate Band provided inspirational music, and other inmates performed an inmate-produced skit.
Sheranda Amos, a substance use disorder therapist, spoke about ways inmates can choose to live and seek help before considering suicide. The program was built around the premise, “Hope is stronger than despair. Every life matters, and every story deserves another chapter.”
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and CMCF’s medical division is sponsoring activities during the month to raise awareness about suicide prevention. The facility also held a suicide awareness showcase on September 10.
Jasmine Nelson, CMCF’s mental health director, said the facility would provide opportunities for awareness, education and reflection within each housing area to reach as many incarcerated individuals as possible. She said the goal is to promote awareness, kindness, compassion and hope.
Crisis support is available 24/7 through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, and through the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. Support and education are also available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Source: Mississippi Department of Corrections.
