West Caldwell-Based Prison Company Comes Under Scrutiny Following Suicides

The families of two inmates who hung themselves while incarcerated at a privately run Pennsylvania prison are threatening legal action following what may be the seventh suicide at the facility in a decade.

The prison – managed by West Caldwell-based Community Education Centers (CEC) since 2008 – may have seen as many as seven suicides since 2009, reported the Delaware County Daily Times.

Following the hanging deaths of Janene Wallace in May and Richard Dandrea in July, the families of the two inmates are demanding that authorities launch an investigation into the prison’s internal policies for prisoners with mental health issues.

CEC spokespersons have stated that the company takes the matter “very seriously” and “appropriate actions” were taken after an investigation, the Daily Times reported.

The prison has a 1,883 person capacity, according to the CEC website.