Freeman Emmanuel Verne was arrested and placed in Bexar County Jail on August 10, 2022. He died less than a year later at the age of 50 on July 2, 2023. His was the second death in the San Antonio jail in a 3-day period. During his incarceration, he was housed in the facility at 200 N. Comal, San Antonio TX 78207. Though his cause of death is unknown, the custodial death report (CDR) indicates that it was a result of natural causes.

Suicide Prevention in Jails

A recent study found that the average rate of suicide that occurs in jails and prisons is five times the rate of suicide among people outside the jail system. Many factors unique to the jail experience have been identified as causes for this increased threat of suicide. Suicide prevention is an integral part of the minimum jail standards set for Texas jails by the Texas Commission for Jail Standards.

A 13% increase in custodial suicides occurred from 2001 through 2019 in local jails. More alarming, in state prisons, there was an 85% increase in suicides.

Jail staff members have a huge role in suicide prevention. Training is required for all staff. The more staff members know and understand how to prevent suicide, the greater the chances that inmates will not take their own lives. Yet, there are many times when Texas jails are noncompliant with requirements for suicide prevention training.

Learn more in this continuing series.

Providing helpful resources to detainees in Texas jails and their families is one of the purposes of this website. There is no intention on this site of implying that a person or organization has been involved in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor