MISSISSIPPI — Denise Short died by suicide at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl after prison officials placed her in restrictive housing, according to a lawsuit filed by her family. Short had requested to be placed on suicide watch in March 2024, telling prison staff that she planned to take her own life.
Correctional officers found Short's body hanging from a state-issued bedsheet one day after her request for suicide watch was made, the lawsuit states. Jenessa Hicks, a lawyer representing Short's family, said, "There were so many opportunities to help Denise." Hicks said, "At every turn, Short was denied the help she needed."
Between 2015 and 2025, at least 47 individuals died by suicide while in restrictive housing units in Mississippi prisons. Nearly 75% of incarcerated individuals who died by suicide in Mississippi prisons during that period were housed in restrictive housing units. Some individuals who died by suicide were found after rigor mortis had set in, indicating they had been deceased for hours.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) continues to use solitary confinement for individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses. MDOC policy states that restrictive housing may only be used when an individual poses a risk or threat to themselves, others, staff, facility security, or property, or has committed a major rule violation. A medical staff member is required to review an individual's medical record before placement in restrictive housing, according to the policy. Kate Head, a spokesperson, stated, "The department uses restrictive housing as a last resort for housing an inmate who poses a threat to themselves, property, staff, other inmates, and/or the operation of the facility."
National studies, federal lawsuits, and U.N. testimonies indicate that solitary confinement increases suicide risk and worsens mental health conditions. Half of all suicides in U.S. prisons and jails occur in solitary confinement, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. A 2024 study found that solitary confinement increases the likelihood of suicidal ideation compared to standard incarceration. Terry Kupers, a forensic psychiatrist, said, "The more inadequate the mental health treatment in a correctional system, the more people with mental illness are sent to solitary. It's just a matter of convenience." Kupers added, "Mississippi is unfortunate, but not alone, in its continued use of solitary confinement."
Incarcerated individuals classified as close custody at one Mississippi facility were held in restrictive housing for an average of 515 days, according to a 2022 Justice Department investigation. The U.N. and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care state that solitary confinement should not exceed 15 days. One man who died by hanging in a Mississippi prison had been held in solitary confinement on death row for 20 years. Mississippi passed a 2021 law limiting solitary confinement, specifically for pregnant individuals, prohibiting their placement unless there is a reasonable belief they may harm themselves, the fetus, or are a flight risk.