Prison guards bet mentally ill woman would kill herself then let her do it

Prison guards bet on whether an mentally ill inmate would kill herself then stood by as she did it, a recently settled lawsuit said.

The Michigan Department of Corrections agreed to pay $860,000 to the family of Janika Edmond, 25, after the guards were found to have been betting on her death.

Edmonds hanged herself in the shower at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in November 2015 after she asked for a suicide-prevention vest, which is a single-piece garment that is too thick to be rolled into a noose.

When Edmonds asked corrections officer Dianna Callahan that she wanted to kill herself, Callahan reportedly pumped her fist three times and shouted ‘Somebody owes me lunch,’ according to court records.

Authorities say the guards had bet a Subway sandwich, according to MLive.

Just moments later, officers did not immediately respond to choking noises as Callahan tried to kill herself in the shower. She died days later at the hospital.

Callahan and another guard, Kory Moore, were fired after authorities investigated Edmond’s death.

Moore was eventually reinstated at the job and later left on her own accord. Callahan was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to six months in jail.

After legal fees, nearly $550,000 will be split between Edmonds two siblings. Her family has said they trade the money for Edmond’s life.

The family’s lawyer, David Steingold, said: ‘No amount of money, obviously, can ever make up for the loss of a loved one.’

Steingold continued: ‘t’s a sad situation and if her death prevents others from suffering that same fate – from the complete neglect of guards at the facility – then at least some good will come out of this.’