North Carolina prison system staff shortages and restrictions manifest in mental health crisis

Editor’s note: The following story deals with suicide. If you have suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988. After the story aired, Here & Now learned that Kristie Puckett Williams no longer works for the ACLU of North Carolina.

A shortage of mental health clinicians and prison staff is making it difficult for those who are incarcerated to receive mental health services. Last year, there were 13 prisoner suicides in North Carolina.

Jason deBruyn of WUNC reports.