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In brief:

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The primary rule here is pretty simple: Treat others with the same respect you'd want for yourself. Here are some guidelines (see more):

It should be noted this is not a comprehensive list.

• Don't insult one another or the subjects of BDN stories. You may be ticked off at what someone did or said, but you can explain that without resorting to name-calling or obscenity. Remember that young people are on this site too.
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That's about it: Stick to writing about the stories; be civil; be kind; enlighten your neighbors. And we'll keep moderating posts to try to ensure everyone meets those standards.

• Anonymous

  Sad for this family just be fore christmas,even thought he had 4 years almost five he still had a life ahead of him.  Time for the jails to figure out why mental health is so bad now.  I do know Penobscot County is horrible for mental health. They have had several offers from mental health providers but will not budge.

• Anonymous

  BDN let us know if medical and/or mental illness was involve please? if you can’t find out, then couldn’t the jail show the same way by no checking in to prevent suicide, of you was not taught to stop it of happen, like nutcracker with you can’t see-hidden secret-till inside you could be surprise .

• Anonymous

  It was suicide, as far as i know no medical illness was involed nor mental.  Rip pal

• Anonymous

  Thanks of letting it be known of what jail knows of medical and/or mental illness, under which slavery act does that fall into?

• Anonymous

  What are you talking about?

• Guest

  MH is a touchy issue! it’s not all their fault! They can only do soo much, but generally if a person is going to kill themselves, then their goina do it! Turn around rates in jails are high, and MH caseloads are high as well! Little do you know, they have a good program in PCJ right now!

• Anonymous

  Tragic.
  Especially at this , The Holiday  , time of year.

• Anonymous

  60 “very serious attempts” in ten years…yow, PCJ needs all the help they can get!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TJYZV7JWWJCPG7BX65EM6UOHZ4 Skowhegan Resident

  Penobscot County Jail now qualifies for the Maine ‘Jail of the Year Award” 2011 

  Competition include:
  Maine State Jail 2
  https://bangordailynews.com/2011/10/11/news/midcoast/84-year-old-inmate-dies-in-maine-state-prison/
  http://www.pressherald.com/news/maine-state-prison-inmate-lloyd-franklin-millett-dies-after-beating.html

  New Jersey State Prison,
  http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=178300

  Maine Correctional Center
  http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2011/11/17/maine_prison_inmate_dies/

• Anonymous

  that’s sad that you would say a comment like this while his family, fiance and friends are in such pain.

• Anonymous

  ALREADY a good program there at PCJ for MA? thank you of them letting the new program work good for a suicide person that could of been ignored of that nature,

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_G6OSP5KK3OHTEHY3VYXONGPUIM MiaH

  ????

• Anonymous

  hello..if some one commits suicide, they have a mental health problem,don’t ya think…It’s a shame and I’m not trying to Monday morning quarterback but I would think new prisoners need to be watched more than the general population…but like a previous comment,if they’re determined,they’re going to do it…

• Anonymous

  I agree with your comment, New prisoners are at the most risk for suicide and need to be check for at least every 10 mins if not a constant watch for certain people. No matter who they are or what they did they’re still human and need to be treated as such.

• Alykins

  With every suicide, “there is a lot of victims left behind who feel guilt and sadness,” the sheriff added.
  Good to know the sheriff knows his grammar..

  My sympathies go out to those affected by his death.
  What can you do if you are in jail, wanting to commit suicide in the middle of the night? Obviously, they can’t call a hotline.. :/

• Anonymous

  I agree with both of you, that new inmates should be watched more than others, but I don’t necessarily agree that mental health problems are the cause here. I don’t think I know this man (we went to the same school, and have many of the same friends, but I can’t place him), but I’ve heard from many that although he screwed up, he was a good hearted person.

  Take a moment and consider all the circumstances:

  He screwed up, broke the law, and got caught
  He disappointed his friends, family and fiancee
  He probably lost his job (unless he worked for family or himself)
  He was to spend the next 4.5 years in a cell, separated from those he cared about
  If he had a mortgage, he may have lost his house, so he’d be homeless when he got out

  I’m sure there are more things there that I’m not even considering, but I would think those things would make a person who is perfectly normal, with no history of mental illness, feel hopeless, helpless, and desperate. It may be that those 4.5 years (as short as they are in comparison to the rest of his life), were just too much for him to handle, and he made the only choice he felt he had.

  I know that many will come back with “Don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time”. I’m not disagreeing with that at all. I’m just stating that jumping to ‘mental problems’ may not be quite fair either. Not one of us knows how we will react if life as we know it is over, if the life we are about to lead (even for a short time) becomes so bleak, we don’t see a point in going on.

  Please remember that this is someone’s son, nephew, brother, grandson, friend and fiancee. They are grieving the huge hole in their lives, one that can never be filled. It doesn’t matter what he did, he was still loved by many.

• Anonymous

  This is very sad to hear, My sympathy goes out to the family. My son I believe is the young man Mr. Ross was referring to quote (One person who attempted suicide still has medical problems as a result) I can tell you first hand that no one expected my son to try to commit suicide. My son now has life long medical problems and will NEVER be the same. He suffers with epilsy now and also dementia and very limited cognition skills along with limited memory short and long term.
  Mr. Ross did all he could do for my son at the time. Sometimes there are unforseen mental health issues that no one can predict. My son was an example of that. Since my sons attempted suicide I believe with all my heart that Penobscot County has done all they could do to make sure a tragic accident such as this didn’t happen again.

• Anonymous

  My goodness…

• Anonymous

  What a heartfelt post.

  Please accept my empathy.

• Anonymous

  Another thing ,look what he was doing time for..DRUGS…what is it, that the USA is the largest consumer of illegal drugs??Why are we that way? Something is amiss in the country,isn’t that a mental health issue??We have more in jails throughout the land on drug related NON VIOLENT crimes than violent crimes. I certainly don’t know the answer,but I’d sure like to be able to answer that question when asked by a foreigner,as I have been on several occasions. My conclusion is something’s seriously wrong with the way we raise our children or society as a whole…Rest in peace young man

• evilbrat420

  I agree with you 100% some people just dont have a heart.  My heart goes out to his family and friends at this time of loss.

• Anonymous

  you push the call button on the wall, or pound on your door, and a guard will come, you will be escorted downstairs and held in an observation cell until morning, then you will be seen by a crisis counselor.

• Anonymous

  I’m not saying that Readingboy and clydeknows don’t have hearts. I agree with everything (but the mental health problems statement) that both of them said.

  I DO agree that there are many out there that don’t have hearts, and forget that a human being with people who are grieving has just lost his life. Yes, he took it on his own, but he still has people out there who love him, and will never be the same without him. Many people just look at the crime, and brand the offender a terrible person.

  I hope that those who love and miss him are coming together right now, and remembering the good times. That always helps me get through a loss of this magnitude.

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Davida-Willette/100000655412147 Davida Willette

  the more mental health cuts there are more people with mental health issues will end up in jail. you are bound to get this. some of these people dont belong in jail

• Anonymous

  Your post makes no sense. I see no comments to you made by either person you are calling out in your rambling.

  No matter what crime he committed, he has many people mourning his passing tonight. You may not be one of them, but perhaps you should respect THEM, and think about how you would feel if someone were calling someone close to you all kinds of awful things, while you are grieving their death.

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Davida-Willette/100000655412147 Davida Willette

  you really dont know what it is like to be incarcerated do you. maybe you should try it . you really might get a eye opener from the processing a person goes through . especially one with mental illness . try it sometime

• Guest

  Dude, no one can understand you! Your typing and grammar is borderline illiterate!

• Anonymous

  He was a prisoner, incarcerated for trafficking in drugs, a lifestyle that lends its self to damaging society. one could argue that we are all better off. 

• Anonymous

  The matter of BDN deleting comments is starting to get out of hand and is borderline censorship. I’d like to know why one side (the people coming on and paying tribute to a criminal) are allowed to voice their opinion yet when someone posts a comment with a different point of view it is censored? 
  The man was a criminal who owes a debt to society, I feel as a tax paying american who has no criminal record that its perfectly acceptable to voice my opinion that its a positive thing having one less criminal one prison welfare is now gone and will not be bailed out again.

• Anonymous

  You would think so, apparently when you die all your sins are washed away and we should all mourn a criminal. 

• Anonymous

  Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.

• Eastbrook

  They Flaged it so please know what you are talking about first, and it must have been removed. It kind of sounds like you are rambling. But thanks for your input. 

• weezy

  The incarcerated man had a drug problem.  No one chooses to be an addict.  You can become an addict after one drink, one street drug, one time at the slots, by using food as your drug of choice, or relationships, porn, shopping, prescriptions, spending, and many others.  Addicts have an illness.  Crimes are committed to feed their illness.  There are no treatment centers in our area.  Celebrities with the ability to pay for rehabs have choices at their disposal.  Until there are rehabs for these suffering addicts, and programs to address and educate the public about the disease of addiction, then addicts will continue to be self destructive, and numb their pain with substances.    ”But for the grace of God, there goes you”.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TJYZV7JWWJCPG7BX65EM6UOHZ4 Skowhegan Resident

  One of the biggest problems in this State are community criminals,drug dealers, troublemakers, and even drunk drivers are turned into Maine folk heroes. The problem is the folk heriosm is likely fueling more crime in the state, criminals knowing they will be folk heros at the end. Everyone forgetting the victims left behind by the criminals.

• Anonymous

  Well the majority of us wouldn’t know… no sympathy for someone who knows they are breaking the laws and does it and these are the consequences. 

• Anonymous

  Asking someone to respect a grieving family is rambling? Good to know…

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Davida-Willette/100000655412147 Davida Willette

  well what do you say when when one is incarcerated KCJ and asks tp speak with a mental health worker and gets no mental health worker 

• Anonymous

  Yeah I’ve heard that before, there are thousands of addicts that do not commit crimes and land in prison. This is not a disease that can be used as an automatic excuse for committing crimes, I’ve seen the attitudes that some of these people have, reckless conduct towards other people. 
   There is plenty of help for addicts but they typically choose not to get help. 

  And judges don’t just hand out years for nothing, every day we see people bailing out and getting short terms, he must have been one of the worst ones.

• Anonymous

  Oh yes and he’s been elevated to that status overnight. Maybe joking aout his death went a bit far, but coming on here an praising him like a fallen soldier is offensive to people that commit suicide and have not been criminals. 

• Anonymous

  WELL if this is the only one  you are reading to what you have left out of? MA could be medical and or mental issue association or at jail and/or prison of minus at medical and/or mental illness is under slave act of who cares as long as work is done.

• Anonymous

  Which jailer ever work on the street of crime? if never then they have a lazy job in ways compare of recording message talking to ASST. D.A. that didn’t know of federal law of medical and/or mental illness is evidence to have a proof, MASON sell shoe better than to put all inmate in jail to ignored of medical and/or mental illness that does do more crime to keep DOC destruction of care for department of correction is where of medical and/or mental illness fail here? Prescription kill more people than marijuana does with treating the medical and/or mental illness better all over than just one area or parts of body, thank you

• Anonymous

  I have nothing against marijuana, I have something against all the ”gangstas” who choose to distribute in a way that commonly results in collateral damage to society.

  I also have to add that your comment is incoherent.

• Anonymous

  While I agree with your position on this specific article, I don’t see how a private company, hosting a private website forum, deleting your comments is inappropriate.  They have done it to me as well and I have tried to respectfully inquire why with no response but IT IS THEIR site. It’s the same as “my house, my rules” concept we all use with our kids.  They don’t have to like it, but they don’t have to stay either.  This isn’t the government cracking down on what we say.  It’s a liberal newspaper that doesn’t like critical comments.  So be it.  They have that right.

• Anonymous

  Just stop… 

• Anonymous

  No one sits down and thinks “Yeah, I’m going to be an addict for the rest of my life.”  OK, I take that back, I’ve met several dopers who think it’s pretty cool.  How about “MOST people don’t sit down and say I want to be an addict” but EVERYONE make choices that lead to addiction with exception of those in the womb.  Everyone knows the decisions and the lifestyle that leads to addiction.  Too many temp fate and get burnt.  It’s time to stop blaming everyone else and start accepting that WE are the reason we as individuals succeed or fail. We live our own lives, take our own chances and maybe someday we can all suffer the consequences of our actions with out a bunch of lame excuses.  It’s called enabling. 

• Anonymous

  Thats true, kind of a shame that instead of both sides arguments being present one must be suppressed. liberal tactics.

• Anonymous

  that was no better….

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

  I have not seen one of your responses that makes any sense whatsoever.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

  Or one could argue that this troubled young man simply was on the wrong path and perhaps after doing his time he may have seen the error of his ways and lead a solid life. One will never know now.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

  Many people turn to drugs and choose to get/stay high as their way of coping with the hardships of life, it’s so much easier for them to stay stoned and not deal with anything. Sad but true.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

  Well said.

• Anonymous

  Lets all just eat apples, what a perfect world.

• Anonymous

  who?

• Anonymous

  live by the sword die by the sword.

• Anonymous

  I disagree, he chose to take drugs and he chose to take the risk of getting addicted, why should the rest of us who make good choices have to pay for other people’s bad ones.  Please don’t dish out that “NO CHOICE” bull-We ALL have choices!

• Anonymous

  Yeah just a little incoherent LOL

• Anonymous

  The sad thing is that I re read it about 4 times before realizing how ridiculous it is.

• Anonymous

  P.S. He wasn’t in jail for plain possesion people, he was in jail for trafficking and selling drugs, so he is more than just an addict!

• Anonymous

  You might get your point across if you actually read what you write before Posting it.  Nobody can understand you.

• http://twitter.com/cardgrl Jennifer Robidoux

  Thank you.

• http://twitter.com/cardgrl Jennifer Robidoux

  Thank you…if the shoe was on the other foot?!

• http://twitter.com/cardgrl Jennifer Robidoux

  The insensitivity here is ridiculous! Think of if it was your friend or family member! Grow up!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

  Plenty of help for addicts? Really? You must not be aware that the majority of detox and rehab centers that were open in the 80′s, are now gone? There is little in the way of real help here in Maine unfortunately.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VANZLIHKQPPLZPYRZHKFC3MDTM Kim

  Folk hero? Seriously? That’s laughable.

• Anonymous

  We demand a translator.

• Anonymous

  Regardless of the crime that was committed, this young man’s family doesn’t need everyone dumping crap on them right now. I’m sure they know he wasn’t perfect. I do not like paying taxes for everyone that gets locked up, either. I just feel that the family should be respected.

• Anonymous

  why do you post like you do? it is hard to understand you sometimes. do you have a disability? i’m not trying to insult you, i just want to understand.