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Luzerne County government is under increasing pressure to provide more specifics about what went wrong in the handling of deceased inmate Shaheen Mackey and how errors will be prevented from occurring.
				Some of the public comments presented during Tuesday&rsquo;s county council meeting asked why the restraint process took so long, why CPR was first administered while he was upright in a restraint chair and why a Taser was used on Mackey when he was restrained.
				It&rsquo;s also still unclear why correctional officers were unaware of Mackey&rsquo;s history of epilepsy and seizures, as stated by the family.
				County Manager C. David Pedri said Wednesday he wants to release a more extensive report for the public and is in the process of compiling one that does not jeopardize prison security. However, Pedri said he may be unable to release it until litigation filed by Mackey&rsquo;s estate is settled.
				The litigation against the county is still technically active because a federal court judge has not yet accepted it, officials said.
				For now, Pedri said he stands by his original statement that changes were made in response to the Mackey case, including more thorough medical screening at intake and increased correctional officer training on detecting and responding to inmate medical episodes.
				The administration also continues reviewing internal prison regulations for more possible changes, he said.
				Council Chairman Tim McGinley said the county must make a statement and offer more detail about prison protocol changes and revisions when the litigation process is complete.
				&ldquo;We also have to explain all the training, intake procedures and anything that came up under review of this unfortunate tragedy,&rdquo; McGinley said.
				McGinley said he&rsquo;s confident that can be accomplished without jeopardizing security purposes.
				&ldquo;There are some things that could be presented to provide the public with clarity,&rdquo; he said.
				Previous review as precedent?
				Councilwoman Sheila Saidman pointed to the review of four female county prison inmate deaths from June 2017 to January 2018 as the type of response that may be pursued in the Mackey case.
				The administration retained four experts to review the circumstances of the female inmate deaths and recommend protocol changes &mdash; psychiatrists Richard Fischbein and Steven R. Kafrissen, psychologist William F. Anzalone Jr. and National Center on Institutions and Alternatives project director Lindsay M. Hayes.
				An administration committee worked with the experts to formulate prison changes.
				&ldquo;We took it very seriously, and this situation is equally serious,&rdquo; Saidman said. &ldquo;We were very concerned and took a great deal of time putting policy and procedures together.&rdquo;
				Three of the female inmates died from hangings deemed suicides: Brooke Griesing on June 8, 2017; Tricia Cooper on July 25, 2017; and Hailey Povisil on Jan. 9.
				The July 7, 2017, death of Joan Rosengrant was ruled accidental; it was caused by the combined effect of prescription drugs complicated by her unspecified physical condition, officials determined.
				DA found no criminality
				A review of the Mackey case by the county District Attorney&rsquo;s Office looked for evidence of brutality, assault or other criminal action &mdash; it found none &mdash; but did not examine internal county protocols on administering restraints or providing medical aid, officials have said.
				A 41-year-old Berwick man, Mackey had been lodged at the prison in Wilkes-Barre about five hours on a warrant related to a protection-from-abuse petition, officials have said. Mackey died in June 2018 at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, two days after he was transported from the county prison.
				Forensic pathologist Dr. Gary Ross ruled that Mackey suffered from severe coronary artery disease and developed an irregular heartbeat suddenly preventing his body from pumping sufficient blood as a result of his &ldquo;hyperexcitable physically combative state.&rdquo;
				Comments to council
				In one of a dozen citizen email comments presented in Tuesday&rsquo;s council meeting, a man said he was &ldquo;disgusted&rdquo; after viewing a video of Mackey&rsquo;s handling that had been released by the family on social media last week. The man asserted the video revealed the need for better training and officers who were &ldquo;disorganized&rdquo; in trying to restrain Mackey.
				Pedri announced Wednesday that the death of another inmate, 30-year-old Mary Balliet, is now under investigation. Brought to the prison around 2 a.m. Wednesday, Balliet was assigned to the medical unit for care based on her medical condition at intake, Pedri said. While there, her condition worsened, and she passed away despite intervention of the medical team to resuscitate her, he said.

Pressure for answers in Luzerne County prison death