On February 24, 2022, the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas, called emergency medical services for inmate Edgar Villatoro-Alvarez. No details about his medical condition have been provided in the summary of his death in the custodial death report (CDR). Mr. Villatoro-Alvarez was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital. On February 25, 2022, a physician pronounced Mr. Villatoro-Alvarez dead.

Suicidal Risk Despite Denial

When jailers are trained in suicide prevention, they are advised that inmates are often suicidal even when they have not made a direct statement to that effect. An inmate’s answer to the question “do you feel suicidal?” is not considered alone in determining suicide risk.

There are various reasons an inmate might deny that he or she is feeling suicidal, and they include the following:

• They consider suicide precautions to be punitive in nature.
• Their desire to commit suicide is genuine and they don’t want to be stopped.
• They are either unwilling or unable to express their thoughts.
• They fear being ostracized or ridiculed by others.
• When the questions are asked during booking, there is a lack of privacy.
• The questions are asked in a manner that results in denying feelings of suicide.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this continuing series. In the next segment, learn about high-risk times and situations for potentially suicidal inmates.

Insinuating that a person or institution is involved in wrongdoing is not intended on this website. Posts are added as potentially helpful resources benefiting current and former county jail inmates in Texas.

–Guest Contributor