Jail/prison conditions & daily life for GMH?

[Pure Maple Syrup]

Can you imagine the outcry if the Dawson County Detention Center allowed Hilton to commit suicide right now? Or let another inmate kill him before he gives up the location of all the other victims?

With that in mind, it seems fair to assume that he is under both suicide watch and protective custody.

I have, thankfully, never been in or even at a jail, much less a rural Georgia one :eek: Can someone who is knowledgeable about such things post and share what his life is probably like in there? Is he, for instance, being allowed to watch the TV news? Read newspapers? Buy snacks?

[DeltaDawn]

Depends on his behavior but most probably yes. While his victims families don't even have closure yet.

[Pure Maple Syrup]

Depends on his behavior but most probably yes. While his victims families don't even have closure yet.Sorry, yes what? Yes, he's locked down or yes he has TV, snacks, etc?

[LionRun]

I hope absolutely no harm comes to Hilton---just yet. LE needs answers on what other crimes the slime may have committed. Families need answers and justice. And, this bizarre, twisted duck should be studied by teams of forensic psychiatrists/psychologists to learn more about what makes them tick.

After his usefulness is gone I hope he rots in prison until he dies.

Lion

[Pure Maple Syrup]

After his usefulness is gone I hope he rots in prison until he dies.LionAgreed.

Just curious what it's living conditons are right now...

[LionRun]

Agreed.

Just curious what it's living conditons are right now...

I'm sorry, Pure Maple Syrup. My feelings are so raw and the anger so intense that I went off topic.

Lion

[dark_shadows]

I am sure that he is in solitary on strict suicide watch. He is either on constant watch or 15 minute checks. He is most likely allowed out of his cell for 1 hour a day. Lawyer visits count as time out of his cell and if he visited with a lawyer, he would only be allowed a shower and that is it. He would have to have all phone calls pre approved and that would count for his hour out.


Respectfully,
dark_shadows

[dark_shadows]

Also, if a person wants to commit suicide in a jail or prison, there is nothing an officer can do to prevent it unless the inmate is on constant ops.


Respectfully,
dark_shadows

[Pure Maple Syrup]

I am sure that he is in solitary on strict suicide watch. He is either on constant watch or 15 minute checks.

Would a personality like Hilton hate the amount of attention he's getting? Or enjoy it?

I can't imagine how awful it would be to have every second of my day watched (even pee and BMs), videotaped, analyzed, commented on by jail personnel.

Also, he was allegedly a heavy smoker. Is he being allowed to smoke? What about TV? Is he being allowed to bask in his "fame", laying around watching CNN?

[Pure Maple Syrup]

Also, if a person wants to commit suicide in a jail or prison, there is nothing an officer can do to prevent it unless the inmate is on constant ops.How about 4-point restraints and 24-hour observation?

[dark_shadows]

He can only watch tv during his hour out. This is determined by a cell number and if he was already out for a lawyer visit, health center visit ect.

He is not videotaped in his cell. But there are places where he would be taped. He is watched and it is recorded when he is seen on checks and when he comes out of his cell.
No he cannot smoke.

He can only watch tv when he is on rec.

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

[Pure Maple Syrup]

He can only watch tv during his hour out. Thanks, DS. How do we know there are the rules for him at the Dawson County Detention Center? I imagine each county is different.

How can he be allowed sheets/blankets, since he can use them to strangle himself? You don't need anything overhead, you can just twist and twist it around your neck until you pass out. How are they protecting US from him doing this?

[dark_shadows]

How about 4-point restraints and 24-hour observation?

If he was in restraints, it would be because he displayed the need to have officers stop his self harm or harm to others.
He would then be restrained and placed on constant watch.

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

[dark_shadows]

Thanks, DS. How do we know there are the rules for him at the Dawson County Detention Center? I imagine each county is different.

How can he be allowed sheets/blankets, since he can use them to strangle himself? You don't need anything overhead, you can just twist and twist it around your neck until you pass out. How are they protecting US from him doing this?
Dear Pure Maple Syrup,
If a person is on suicide watch, they are assigned a watch suit and a watch blanket. I can say that he is in a suicide watch suit and he has one watch blanket. Due to the high profile case. He is also seeing a mental health person.

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

[Pure Maple Syrup]

If a person is on suicide watch, they are assigned a watch suit and a watch blanket. I can say that he is in a suicide watch suit and he has one watch blanket. Due to the high profile case. He is also seeing a mental health person.
Sorry for appearing dense here, but are you speaking generally about inmates in this type of situation, or about Hilton specifically?

What is a "watch suit"? A "watch blanket"? Can you describe these?

[dark_shadows]

Dear Pure Maple Syrup,
I can assume that the system is the same where Hilton is as where I worked.


A watch suit is a suit that has velcro along the back length of a dress type suit with velcro on the shoulders also and is rip proof.
A watch blanket is made of rip proof material. (so it cannot be torn or gnawed to cause rips in the material to be used to cause self-harm.)

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

[LionRun]

Shadows, thank you for all of the info you are posting on what it may be like for Hilton in jail:). This gives us a good picture.

Lion

[dark_shadows]

To my very dearest Lion,:blowkiss:

You are very welcome my treasured friend.

So much Love and Respect for you,
dark_shadows

[Pure Maple Syrup]

Dear Pure Maple Syrup,
I can assume that the system is the same where Hilton is as where I worked.
Thanks. I see you're from Vermont though. Not rural Georgia. You said "where I worked"...that's past tense, how long ago did you used to work in corrections? Also, your initial post said that Hilton "IS wearing this-and-this, and he IS seeing a psych, etc", implying that you know those details as facts. Rather than stating that you think that "an inmate such as Hilton would probably be wearing such-and-such". etc.

With all due respect, is it possible that things might be different at the current time, in rural Georgia?

[MCDRAW]

I would think that most correctional facilities are run basically the same. Maybe with minor differences.

[LionRun]

I agree, MC D.

Dark shadows worked in a correctional facility for a number of years and only recently changed professions.

Lion

[JinxieJada]

Dark Shadows!

Yay! I was waiting for you to come onto this thread - Your information is invaluable - especially so for us who have no knowlege. Thank you sooo much for sharing!

[SeriouslySearching]

Thanks, Dark for your input! It does paint a clearer picture of his life behind bars for the moment. I hope he is miserable, but since he is such a loner anyway...I am not sure that he isn't glad to have the solitary life with 3 hots and a cot.

No one wants to think of Hilton as getting out of this mounting and horrific crime spree by suicide, but if by some remote chance it did happen...I take comfort in knowing he left his DNA in probably every crime scene he was responsible for. The DNA they have collected all thru the years can now be possibly matched to a person who before was off the grid.

[GlitchWizard]

All the questions have been answered except for snacks. :-) Snacks are only for those inmates who have money - either sent to them or if they trade things from their food alotments or whatever. If he is in protective custody (he'd have to be) he can't trade with other inmates. If he has no one to send him money (I'd think he wouldn't) he doesn't have money for canteen, which is where snacks come from. Snacks, the good soap, deoderant and good toothpaste... stuff like that.

Anyone want to send him money so he can get some oreos? I think not.

[angelmom]

Thanks. I see you're from Vermont though. Not rural Georgia. You said "where I worked"...that's past tense, how long ago did you used to work in corrections? Also, your initial post said that Hilton "IS wearing this-and-this, and he IS seeing a psych, etc", implying that you know those details as facts. Rather than stating that you think that "an inmate such as Hilton would probably be wearing such-and-such". etc.

With all due respect, is it possible that things might be different at the current time, in rural Georgia?

Just to clarify, this is not exactly East Bumble. Dawson county is just barely outside of metro Atlanta, and only 40 miles from downtown. I know nothing about jail conditions, but my guess is they are similar to many other metro counties.

http://www.dawsoncounty.org/

[raindrops300]

........ much less a rural Georgia one :eek: .........

PMS,
I believe what DS posted is pretty much standard in any detention facility, even "rural Georgia". I'm not sure which part of the country you are from, but most likely what you are thinking of as the rural South is not necessarily true.
You may want to visit this website for more info on the Dawson County Detention Center.

http://www.dawsoncountysheriff.org/detentioninmateaccounts.htm

[Karole28]

Hey all, been keeping up by reading here, but have been too busy to participate. This has hit so close to home (literally and figuratively) the mind just reels and I had to jump in.

I just want to reiterate what these posters have said, I know the popular view of the south is that we're all hay chewing illiterates, but like most folktales, this has no base in reality and it'd behoove people to actually get out of their own front yards before alerting everyone to their prejudice.

If it weren't for these "rural" southerners, this guy most likely would still be out killing.

[Pure Maple Syrup]

If a person is on suicide watch, they are assigned a watch suit and a watch blanket.

Okay, curiosity got the better of me. Just had to google this. Found this about "suicide safety smocks":
http://sensitivepoet.blogspot.com/2007/12/suicide-safety-smocks.html

For your viewing pleasure...

[FLMom]

Here's a link for the jail population in Dawson. GMH is in there with 160 others, and he's even listed in the current population:

http://www.dawsoncountysheriff.org/Inmates/ICURRENT.HTM

Here's info about inmate accounts:

http://www.dawsoncountysheriff.org/detentioninmateaccounts.htm

Visitation:
http://www.dawsoncountysheriff.org/detentionvisitation.htm

Mail:
http://www.dawsoncountysheriff.org/detentioninmatemail.htm

[Pure Maple Syrup]

[QUOTE=FLMom;1918713]Here's a link for the jail population in Dawson. GMH is in there with 160 others, and he's even listed in the current population:

http://www.dawsoncountysheriff.org/Inmates/ICURRENT.HTM

What an ugly man.

Anyone notice that he only weighed 145 lbs when he was booked? For a 5'10" man that's pretty damn emaciated. Wonder if that's due to his "nervous jittery personality", the huge amounts of Ritalin he is alleged to have been taking, lack of money for food, or just the adrenaline from a 3-month killing spree?

[dark_shadows]

Dear Pure Maple Syrup,

The link shows everyone in the jail population, current population.
It shows men and women. It does not state the units that the inmates are in.


Respectfully,
dark_shadows

[dark_shadows]

Here is a link about the suits with small photos.


http://www.slate.com/id/2179274/



Respectfully,
dark_shadows

[stealthy]

While there are standards in place it's not safe to assume that every county detention center is the same as any other. That's just not true. Having had some experience which I will not go into a lot of details about, one facillity may be vastly different than another, due to budget, the people working iin the facility, the time of day, etc. Anyway, maybe a reporter will be able to interview him at some point. That would be interesting. :)

[dark_shadows]

I want to thank all of my dearest posters for your support of me.

With all of my heart, I truly appreciate it.

All of my Love and Respect for you,
dark_shadows

[Karole28]

DarkShadows, I admire your posts and your willingness to tell us of your experiences. As I've said, I haven't written here in a while, but I've read every post in this forum, and truly appreciate your wonderful spirit and attitude and your contribution here.

-Karole28

[dark_shadows]

My very dearest Karole,:blowkiss:

Thank-you so very much for your post. It really means alot to me and I am honored to be in your company.

So much Love and Respect for you,
dark_shadows

[Jeana (DP)]

Can you imagine the outcry if the Dawson County Detention Center allowed Hilton to commit suicide right now? Or let another inmate kill him before he gives up the location of all the other victims?

With that in mind, it seems fair to assume that he is under both suicide watch and protective custody.

I have, thankfully, never been in or even at a jail, much less a rural Georgia one :eek: Can someone who is knowledgeable about such things post and share what his life is probably like in there? Is he, for instance, being allowed to watch the TV news? Read newspapers? Buy snacks?

Here is some information that may answer many of your questions. I'm not exactly sure why you decided to ask the membership of this forum these questions instead of taking the time to figure it out for yourself, but since we've already crossed that bridge, here's what I could find out:





Inmate Accounts/Commissary

Upon admission to the Detention Center all money in the possession of an inmate will be taken by the booking officer and a receipt will be given to the inmate. This money will be deposited into an account and credited to the inmate.

Inmates will be allowed to purchase beverages and snacks from the commissary as posted. Only items purchased from the commissary will be allowed in the housing area. All purchases are deducted from the inmate’s commissary account which is maintained by the detention center/ provided the inmate has funds in his/her account at the time the order is processed.

An inmate must be detained in the Dawson County Detention Center for a period of ten (10) days without money on their account before they will qualify for a welfare package. An inmate needing this must complete an Inmate Request Form indicating their need.

No commissary items from other facilities will be accepted into the Dawson County Detention Center.

If an inmate has already placed a commissary order and is released or transferred, the inmate or a family member will have five days to pick up the commissary. If the order is not picked up within five days, it will be disbursed to the indigent.

All monies in the form of cash, money order, or certified checks that an inmate had in his possession when booked into the facility will be credited to the inmate’s commissary account automatically.

No personal checks will be accepted from any person wishing to deposit money into an inmate’s account.

Any person wishing to deposit money or certified check into an inmate’s account may do so by bringing the money or certified check to the detention center on the inmate’s visitation day.

Money orders or certified checks may be mailed to the Detention Center to the address below:

Dawson County Detention Center
64 West Third Street
Dawsonville, GA 30534



Commander | Work Detail/Release Program
Firewood Program | Civil/Warrant Division | Court Services
Fees | Inmate Visitation| View Inmates
Inmate Accounts/Commissary | Inmate Mail | Bonding Procedures

http://www.dawsoncountysheriff.org/detentioninmateaccounts.htm


The link above may provide you with even more information should you have any further questions.

[LionRun]

Dark shadows, I am glad you share information you gained from your experiences working nearly 15 years in corrections. You are one of the most cared for and respected posters here on ws:blowkiss:.

Lion

[sstepp63]

I would be really suprised if Hilton was on suicide watch. I honestly don't think he would try to kill himself. I think he's probably totally mad that he got caught. I don't think he has any remorse at all for the killings. He did it for the money or the fun but he's not sorry. Cold and calculating describe him to me. Not much at all in the news about how much they're grilling him for information. I did read the investigators from Florida and North Carolina didn't get to talk to him because they couldn't come to an agreement with his lawyer. I would like to think he would just up and confess to all the crimes he's commited but I don't think he'll do that either unless it's bragging to another cellmate. Are they allowed to plant someone in with him to see if he would talk to them?

Sandy

[Pure Maple Syrup]

Here is some information that may answer many of your questions. I'm not exactly sure why you decided to ask the membership of this forum these questions instead of taking the time to figure it out for yourself, but since we've already crossed that bridge, here's what I could find out:


I did "take the time" to visit the DCDC site before posting here. Nothing at their official site gives a clue about what life is REALLY like for the inmates. How would you suggest that someone "figure it out for themselves" from the website you cite, how an inmate such as Hilton was being treated as far as suicide watch, TV privileges, etc?

[Pure Maple Syrup]

[QUOTE=Jeana (DP);1919471 I'm not exactly sure why you decided to ask the membership of this forum these questions[/QUOTE]

Umm, is this not a discussion forum? Where people, er, discuss things? I don't understand what your issue is with my question.

[LionRun]

I would be really suprised if Hilton was on suicide watch. I honestly don't think he would try to kill himself. I think he's probably totally mad that he got caught. I don't think he has any remorse at all for the killings. He did it for the money or the fun but he's not sorry. Cold and calculating describe him to me. Not much at all in the news about how much they're grilling him for information. I did read the investigators from Florida and North Carolina didn't get to talk to him because they couldn't come to an agreement with his lawyer. I would like to think he would just up and confess to all the crimes he's commited but I don't think he'll do that either unless it's bragging to another cellmate. Are they allowed to plant someone in with him to see if he would talk to them?

Sandy

Hi Sandy. Even true psychopaths with no capacity to feel anything for others do feel for themselves. He could become depressed that his life as he knows it, filled with macabre thoughts and murderous actions, is gone. In any case, I hope he is on suicide watch and well protected from other inmates until LE and doctors can get all they need from him. Then he would do the world, his victim's families, and the taxpayers a favor and kill himself if he likes.

I think he may isolated from the general population so I don't know if a plant would work in this case. But, that is a good question. I hope that they get to the bottom of all that he has done one way or another. What a horrible, horrible monster. I feel so sad for Meredith's family and for any families who may learn that their loved one(s) suffered a similar fate.

Lion

[Karole28]

I would like to think he would just up and confess to all the crimes he's commited but I don't think he'll do that either unless it's bragging to another cellmate. Are they allowed to plant someone in with him to see if he would talk to them?

Sandy


Now that he knows the death penalty is back on the table, I don't think he'll be confessing to anything else. It is so sad for the families of the victims we'll never connect him to. So sad for bodies never recovered.

[AlohaGal]

Umm, is this not a discussion forum? Where people, er, discuss things? I don't understand what your issue is with my question.


PMS? Maybe....?
Luck to you...Startin out on the wrong foot dear...

Aloha kakou

[sstepp63]

I didn't think about him getting depressed being locked up, you are right. But he is a manipulator, he could be trying to get another deal to give more information on other cases. I don't think any of them will offer him a deal on the death penalty yet.

I saw the picture of where he was cleaning out the van with all the bags and stuff lying around it. Any idea on how long it would take to process all that stuff? I suppose they will be doing testing on everything because they don't know what not to test.

Sandy

[hprofits]

Just to clarify, this is not exactly East Bumble. Dawson county is just barely outside of metro Atlanta, and only 40 miles from downtown. I know nothing about jail conditions, but my guess is they are similar to many other metro counties.

http://www.dawsoncounty.org/

I live less than a mile from the Jail in Dawsonville and I can assure you most would consider this East Bumble, heck it takes me almost 15 minutes to get to a grocery store from here. The Jail is new but extremely small, I've lived in many Georgia counties and it's by far the smallest jail i've seen. I don't know for sure but I would guess this is the most high profile prisoner to ever come thru this county.

[bakerprune64]

Wonderful information, thank you for posting it. As for some others...maybe more time reading and less time snipping would be helpful!