The Truth About R. Kelly Being On Suicide Watch In Prison
R. Kelly was officially sentenced to 30 years in prison in late June after being found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking crimes following allegations from multiple accusers, per BBC News, but could still face even longer behind bars. The singer is set to go to trial once again in August, this time in Chicago, where he will face allegations relating to obstruction of justice and child pornography charges. But that's not all, as the star is also facing allegations of sexual abuse in two other states. His lawyer claimed that Kelly was not happy with the decision for him to be locked away for 30 years and claimed he planned to appeal the decision.
Kelly should be pretty used to being in prison though, as the disgraced celebrity had already been behind bars since 2019 when he was taken into custody. Since then, Kelly has had his bail pleas denied on multiple occasions, per CNN, and his new experience in the wake of his first sentencing may be very different than he's used to after it was confirmed he'd been placed on suicide watch.
R. Kelly being place on suicide watch is 'for his own safety'
Brooklyn's U.S. Attorney's Office filed court documents following R. Kelly's sentencing, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Speight claiming he was placed on suicide watch at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center for what she described as being "for his own safety." Speight continued, per The Hollywood Reporter, "He is a convicted sex offender who has been sentenced to spend the next three decades in prison. In the immediate future, he faces another federal criminal trial in Chicago for charges related to child pornography."
Kelly's attorney had filed a lawsuit which alleged he did not have thoughts of harming himself and being placed on suicide watch was supposedly based "solely for punitive purposes and because of his status as a high-profile inmate." They added, "While the conditions of suicide watch may be appropriate for individuals who are truly at risk of hurting themselves, they are cruel and unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment for individuals who are not suicidal."
Kelly certainly hasn't had the easiest time of things in prison, even being attacked by a fellow inmate in August 2020. Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, tweeted at the time that he wasn't aware of the severity of Kelly's injuries, adding, "Regardless, it is time to release Mr. Kelly. The government cannot ensure his safety, and they cannot give him his day in court. We should not incarcerate people indefinitely because we cannot provide them with due process!"
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).