DOC sees uptick in deaths in recent months, citing suicides as the leading cause

Six “apparent” suicides have occurred so far this year, compared to none in 2024 and just one each in 2023 and 2022.

An inmate walks back to his cell block at MCI-Shirley Medium Correctional Center. Jessey Dearing for The Boston Globe

After several years of declining deaths in state prisons, the Massachusetts Department of Correction is reporting a reversal this year, with six incarcerated people dying by suicide — up from none last year and one each in 2023 and 2022.

At the beginning of November, DOC announced a system-wide safety and clinical action plan, including an independent review process led by a forensic mental health expert.

“Every person in our custody deserves safety, dignity and care,” said Commissioner Shawn Jenkins, in a statement. “When a death occurs, we activate a coordinated, evidence-informed response that prioritizes life safety.”

In each incident, DOC staff initiated life-saving measures and requested emergency medical services.

According to the DOC, two of the apparent suicides happened at MCI-Norfolk on Sept. 20 and 27, three occurred at Souza-Baranowski Correction Center on April 10, Oct. 28, and Nov. 2, and one suicide happened at MCI-Shirley on Jan. 22.

*Data provided by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections*

In September, questions around the rise of deaths began to form after DOC confirmed four unexplained deaths, followed by five in October.

The Chief Medical Examiner has not released the cause of death for those instances yet, with DOC saying they were all “medical emergencies.”

According to the Massachusetts Prison Population Trends reports, the prison population has declined since its peak in 2012. From Jan. 1, 2016, to Jan. 1, 2025, the prison population fell 38%. The report attributes the drop to a decline in recidivism rates.

The average population in the DOC facilities was 6,049 in 2024, with a capacity to hold 8,015.

Available data shows that from a high of 40 deaths in 2021, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it continued to fall to 26 deaths in 2022, 19 in 2023, and 18 in 2024.

*Data from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections*

According to a public records release to Boston.com, there were 25 deaths in 2025 so far this year. It lists the cause of death only up to Aug. 13, including pneumonia, hanging, respiratory failure and complications, sudden cardiac dysrhythmia, cardiovascular disease, and others.

It remains unclear what caused the uptick in deaths in September and October.

A July 2025 report on medical parole eligibility found that between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2023, the leading cause of death in state custody was infection, accounting for 28% of cases — nearly half of them related to COVID-19.

Complications from chronic disease were the second most common cause at 25%, followed by cancer at 22%. By organ system, cardiovascular conditions accounted for 26% of deaths, and respiratory conditions for 25%. Overall, 58% of deaths were considered acute or sudden.