Reporter investigates increase in deaths by suicide in North Carolina’s prison system in 2024

By Jeff Tiberii,

Published May 19, 2025 at 12:40 PM EDT

A solitary confinement cell at Central Prison in Raleigh. People held in solitary, also known as restrictive housing often spend 22 to 24 hours alone in a cell about the size of a parking space. Since 2016, a total of 81 people have died by suicide in North Carolina prisons. Nearly 60 percent have occurred in restrictive housing.

North Carolina Health News reporter Rachel Crumpler investigated deaths by suicide in North Carolina’s prison system and found an increase in these deaths among incarcerated people in 2024. She talks with co-host Jeff Tiberii about how prison officials are responding, and about one family's grief.

Guest

Rachel Crumpler, reporter, North Carolina Health News

Tags

Due South Mental Health

Jeff Tiberii

Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Jeff joined WUNC in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and WUNC’s Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary “Right Turn,” launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.

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Rachel McCarthy

Rachel McCarthy is a producer for "Due South." She previously worked at WUNC as a producer for "The Story with Dick Gordon." More recently, Rachel was podcast managing editor at Capitol Broadcasting Company where she developed narrative series and edited a daily podcast. She also worked at "The Double Shift" podcast as supervising producer. Rachel learned about audio storytelling at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Prior to working in audio journalism, she was a research assistant at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC.

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