Eddie Garcia was 29 years old when he was discovered with linen wrapped tightly around his neck at Nueces County Jail in Corpus Christi, Texas. A pulse wasn’t found on Mr. Garcia, but life-saving measures persisted until he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Suicide is a terrible fact of life in lockup facilities, and a study a few years back showed that hanging is the method of suicide most inmates use. Inmates fashion a ligature using items such as clothing, bed linens, telephone cords, electrical cords, laundry bags, and trash bags.

The death of Sandra Bland in Waller County Jail, Texas, is one that created great controversy, and a new law named after Ms. Bland was eventually added in Texas for the purpose of trying to reduce the number of jail suicides. Reportedly, Ms. Bland committed suicide by hanging, and she used a trash bag as a ligature. This raised questions and a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has made it known that there are no trash cans in the state’s prison cells. The practice in county jails was not specified, however.

According to the operating standards for county jails in Texas, which are determined by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), all jail staff members must receive training that could help with suicide prevention. Learn more in the next segment of this ongoing series.

This website’s posts are provided with the goal of serving as a helpful resource for inmates in Texas county jails, whether they are now or formerly incarcerated. There is no intention to make an implication of wrongdoing on the part of people or entities.

–Guest Contributor