Devils Lake jail left a mother in crisis unwatched before she hanged herself, suit says
The family of Cassandra McDonald, 35, sued the Lake Region Correctional Center in Devils Lake in federal court on Oct. 16, 2025. She was found unresponsive in her cell after hanging herself on Nov. 8, 2023, and died two days later. The complaint says staff knew of her mental health and addiction problems, that she had access to methamphetamine in custody, and that after an ER visit for a broken arm from jumping off a top bunk she was not moved to an observation cell. It says the jail had been found noncompliant with state corrections standards on mental health screenings and written rules for observation rounds. Defendants include the jail, Devils Lake, Ramsey, Nelson, Benson and Eddy counties, then-Sheriff Steve Nelson, two staff members and a doctor. No response had been filed when the suit was reported.
The document says LRCC was previously found noncompliant with North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation standards, including providing mental health screenings to inmates once they are no longer under the influence
correctional officers failed to provide adequate mental health care despite warning signs being present.
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