According to Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madis, prison staff should think better about how to monitor suicidal inmates. They should communicate more with them. This would help prevent bad things.
Madis says that prisons should use safe calming rooms. She has mentioned this before. Prisons should also use tear-resistant bed linen. This is important because one inmate used bed sheets for suicide.
Madis also spoke about prison problems. She said that suicidal inmates are not communicated with enough. For example, one inmate who had just arrived at the prison did not get enough communication. According to international rules, a person in solitary confinement should get at least two hours of communication per day. This communication should be humane and empathetic.
Madis said that prison staff and healthcare workers should think better about how to monitor people in solitary confinement and those who are suicidal. This would help recognize and prevent bad things.
In addition, Madis said that prison guards do not always conduct proper rounds. In one case, it was noticed only several hours later that a person in a video-monitored cell had died.
Five people died in Estonian prisons since September 2024. Three people committed suicide. Two people died due to health problems. In addition, a person who had been taken to sober up was found dead on a bus.