The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial report about Zachary Daniels on February 8, 2022. The report indicates that 22-year-old Daniels was an inmate at Fort Bend County Jail in Richmond, Texas. He died of suicide on February 4, 2022, and the medical cause was self-inflicted asphyxiation. Mr. Daniels used a bed sheet to fashion a ligature.

Numerous factors contribute to the high rates of suicide in county jails, including the following:

• Shame about being arrested and jailed
• Guilt
• Being isolated from family
• The painful process of detoxing from alcohol or drugs
• Anticipating a coming court date
• Mental illness

Many sheriffs and other head jailers are worried about suicide. Sadly, however, something many jailers have in common is the outdated mindset that if an inmate is intent on committing suicide, nothing can be done to prevent it. Many mental health advocates take an opposing view. They believe suicides are preventable, particularly in jail, where inmates are in a controlled setting. A good start, as far as jailers being more successful in preventing suicide, would be to realize that a person who doesn’t admit they feel suicidal can be just as vulnerable as another inmate who openly makes suicidal statements.

Certain practices common in county jails throughout the U.S. work against suicide prevention. The most obvious issue is that suicidal inmates are often isolated in a single cell. Meanwhile, it is well known that the risk of suicide is significantly reduced when an inmate is with others as opposed to being alone.

See Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this ongoing series.

On this website, there is no intention of implicating persons or entities in acts of wrongdoing. All posts on this site purpose to benefit inmates currently or previously detained in a Texas county jail.

–Guest Contributor