In The Midst Of Suicide Spree, Graterford Superintendent Retires

GRATERFORD, PA — With five inmates dead from apparent suicides since the start of 2018, the superintendent of Graterford State Prison is no longer at the helm.

Cynthia Link retired at some point the past several weeks, authorities confirmed, although an exact date was not provided. Link had previously been tapped as the chief of the new prison, SCI Phoenix, set to debut this summer, so it appears her retirement is a recent development. However, officials would not comment on whether the recent deaths had any connection to her retirement.

The five deaths represent what prison officials themselves termed a "suicide cluster."

"Obviously, when we have a suicide cluster, it's a major concern, Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said in a statement.

After the fifth death, Wetzel announced that the prison had contracted Lindsay Hayes, a national expert on jail suicide prevention, to lead a full review of the prison's "policy, procedures, and practices." Hayes works with the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives' Jail Suicide Prevention and Liability Reduction Program.

"We are committed to make whatever adjustments necessary," Wetzel added.

For family members of inmates who have died, that's not enough. Bobbie London, the mother of Christopher Gilchrist, wants to know how her son managed to commit suicide even though he was on 24-hour suicide watch, she told Philly.com.

Link has been with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections since 1987, rising through the ranks as a sergeant, lieutenant, and captain, before eventually being named Superintendent in Aug. 2014. Her marks from the DOC - and from the nonprofit Pennsylvania Prison Society - are strong.

She was "truly caring about the people whose lives were spent under her charge," executive director of the Society, Claire Shubik-Richards, told Philly.com.

Link had also graduated from the Pennsylvania Leadership Development Institute and gave talks on a number of related topics including team building, interpersonal communications, and empowerment, according to the DOC.

In the meantime, with Link gone, former Camp Hill superintendent Laurel Hardy will take charge. Graterford, for their part, said that they are undertaking a full review of each suicide that has occurred under their watch.

Wetzel recently told WHYY that there are several imperfections in their present system which they are trying out to work out. County authorities and DOC are not always on the same page regarding an inmate's mental health when they first arrive in the prison. Furthermore, the impending move from Grateford to Phoenix is reportedly causing anxiety among some inmates. And finally, as outside expert Hayes has noted, suicide watch is a complex thing; the very nature of a suicide watch cell, for instance, including the isolation and unfamiliar, harsh conditions, can actually exacerbate the problem, in some cases.

State police investigate every inmate death, but no additional information regarding the circumstances of the recent Graterford deaths has been made available.

All of the deaths have occurred by hanging.

Photo By Mike Levin/Getty Images