Maine jail officials missed a clear warning before a woman died by suicide.
A day before she was jailed, Shannon Dickens said she would kill herself if her ex-boyfriend didn’t let her back into his house.
This happened on August 3, 2024, in Washington, Maine. Shannon fled into the woods with a gun and threatened to harm herself
The next day, she was booked into Knox County Jail. Officers noted her threat in the intake forms, but they also checked “No” when asked if she had recently shown suicidal thoughts or mental illness. Because she answered “No” on the suicide screening, she was not placed on suicide watch.
On September 9, 2024, Shannon died by suicide inside the jail. She was not with an officer at the time and had access to the item she used.
Experts say this was a serious error. Paul Nestadt from Johns Hopkins said Shannon’s earlier threats were a “huge red flag.” He added that the jail should have placed her on watch because of her admission. Madalyn Wasilczuk, a law professor, agreed that her threat to shoot herself was “a pretty big red flag“.
Shannon’s sisters said she had bipolar disorder and depression, but refused mental health treatment. One sister said Shannon needed mental health care at a hospital, not jail, after all the signs she showed.
Maine law requires jails to train staff to spot suicide risks. Yet 35 people at Maine jails have died by suicide since 2010 .
Knox County had only one previous suicide case in 2017. A state inspection in August 2024 said the jail had proper forms and training, but it did not comment on how they assesses risk.
Experts warn that suicide risk is hard to predict. A 2018 study shows many who die by suicide denied feeling suicidal just days before. Wasilczuk noted that jail staff aren’t always trained for mental health cases. She thinks talking to family and doctors could help get a clearer picture
