Albany County inmate dies after suicide attempt at detention center

An Albany County inmate died after a suicide attempt inside the county detention center in Laramie, a case that is drawing fresh attention to how staff monitor people in crisis and how quickly they can intervene in one of the county’s most sensitive facilities. Deputies found Matthew Robinson unresponsive with a ligature around his neck at 11:56 a.m. Wednesday, May 28, according to a news release from Sheriff Aaron Appelhans.

The Albany County Detention Center sits at 420 Ivinson Avenue and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As the county’s central custody and booking facility, it is the place where Albany County relies on correctional staff to identify mental-health emergencies, respond to medical crises and maintain constant supervision of people in custody. The sheriff’s office lists 46 sworn law enforcement officers and 8 civilian support personnel, underscoring the limited pool of staff responsible for both public safety and jail operations.

The death is likely to sharpen questions about suicide-prevention protocols already in place at the jail, including screening, observation and emergency response procedures. The county’s detention center policy manual says the jail administrator manages the facility within guidelines designated by the sheriff and in accordance with federal, state and local laws and regulations. Albany County also maintains a Coalition to Prevent Suicide and Substance Abuse, a local effort focused on reducing substance abuse and suicide across the community.

This was not the first time the detention center has faced scrutiny over inmate deaths. WyoFile reported that three inmates died at the Albany County Detention Center in the seven months between September 2021 and April 2022, including two suicides and a fatal overdose. That history places Wednesday’s death in a wider pattern that has already tested public confidence and raised hard questions about whether existing safeguards are enough.

The broader issue goes beyond one facility. County jails routinely house people dealing with substance-use disorders, psychiatric illness, withdrawal and other acute stressors, making suicide prevention a core public-safety responsibility. For Albany County, the immediate challenge is not only accounting for what happened to Robinson, but also examining whether staffing levels, training, and emergency procedures inside the detention center matched the risks faced by people held there.