An inmate at a Broward County jail has died by suicide, marking yet another tragic incident at the facility that has come under increasing scrutiny for its handling of mentally ill detainees. According to WSVN, the victim was identified as Alvin Stephen Modeste, who was found dead in his cell after reportedly strangling himself.
Modeste, who had a history of schizophrenia, was arrested on Oct. 4 and was awaiting a mental competency hearing. His sister tragically told WSVN, “He’s just my brother,” expressing her grief and the family's loss. This follows closely on the heels of another inmate's death at the same jail, with a 29-year-old man beaten to death by his cellmate in a separate incident.
After the death of her brother, Corine Modeste disclosed that he had been expected to receive help following his arrest and lamented the lack of information about the circumstances leading to his suicide. "I'm just frustrated. I just want to know, and I don't know why it's being kept from me," she stated in a WSVN interview. In light of the events, a Broward jail employee has been placed on administrative leave, as confirmed by both WSVN and CBS News Miami.
Broward Public Defender Gordon Weekes, when interviewed, criticized the jail's supervision for inmates with mental illness, stressing that "our most vulnerable population, our mentally ill are not getting the adequate supervision, the adequate care, and the adequate protection that is necessary to ensure they are safe." Weekes wrote a letter to Sheriff Gregory Tony with strong criticisms and recommendations, highlighting the desperate need for outside oversight. The parallel situations of Modeste and another mentally ill inmate who was attacked, both in custody at the Broward jail, underscore the systemic issues at play.
In a statement obtained by CBS News Miami, Weekes further said, "It's 100% necessary. We have had a pattern within that jail that is screaming and begging outside oversight." Meanwhile, Sheriff Tony acknowledged a "crisis" with mentally ill inmates in an open letter last December and cited the high costs associated with their care. Yet, despite these recognitions and admissions of a problem, devastating outcomes continue to unfold within the walls of the Broward County jail, casting a harsh light on the handling of inmates suffering from mental health issues.
