Garner Inmate Jumps Off Cellblock Balcony

By Andrew Gorosko

A Garner Correctional Institution inmate intentionally jumped over a high railing on a second-story balcony within a cellblock at the high-security prison on the night of January 14, falling about 17 feet onto a concrete floor below, according to the state Department of Correction (DOC).

Inmate Jason Clifford, 26, of Derby jumped over the railing about 8:32 pm, according to DOC spokesman Brian Garnett.

Clifford was then transported to Danbury Hospital for treatment of injuries, after which he was returned to Garner about 2 am on the following morning, Mr Garnett said. A Danbury Hospital spokeswoman confirmed that Clifford was treated at the hospital and then released.

The DOC spokesman did not say what specific injuries Clifford received in the fall, but added that those injuries apparently were not serious if the prisoner was returned to Garner within a matter of hours.

Mr Garnett would not comment on whether Clifford’s actions amounted to a suicide attempt. Since last May, there have been three inmate suicides at Garner. In each of those three cases, the inmate asphyxiated himself.

Also, Mr Garnett declined to comment on whether Clifford is a mental health inmate at Garner.

The large majority of the roughly 600 male prisoners held at the 245,000-square-foot facility at 50 Nunnawauk Road have serious mental health problems. Garner specializes in treating inmates with mental health issues.

State police were called to the prison to investigate the January 14 incident, Mr Garnett said.

State police are not pressing criminal charges against Clifford, and the DOC is not pursuing disciplinary actions against him, Mr Garnett said.

In the past, several other Garner inmates have intentionally jumped from second-story balconies within cellblocks at the prison.

Mr Garnett said prison staffers work diligently to thwart suicides within Garner, preventing many deaths from occurring. “We do take extensive efforts to protect people from (injuring) themselves,” Mr Garnett said.

 Clifford is being held at Garner on $100,000 bail as an unsentenced inmate.

 State police currently have more than a dozen charges pending against Clifford including second-degree assault, reckless driving, driving under the influence, possession of marijuana, use of drug paraphernalia, interfering with police, engaging police in pursuit, and various motor vehicle charges. Clifford is next scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on February 9.