Tragedy occurred at Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle, Texas, on July 11, 2021, because Alexander Jonah McFarland, age 31, was found nonresponsive in his cell. Mr. McFarland had used a bedsheet to fashion a ligature, and he hung himself. On July 17, 2021, at a nearby hospital, Mr. McFarland died from his injuries.

Custodial death reports show that two other Travis County inmates have died after hanging themselves in 2021. All three of these deceased inmates used a bedsheet to commit suicide. The other two inmates’ dates of death were June 26 and April 30.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) requires jails to ensure that areas where potentially suicidal inmates are housed have face-to-face observations every 30 minutes or less. No more than a half-hour should pass between inmate checks. This is essential because supervision has been identified as one of the most effective deterrents to custodial suicide.

On May 24, 2021, a Jail Inspection Report for a Texas county jail shows something that, unfortunately, is not uncommon. The TCJS inspector indicates that the jail was non-compliant as far as following the minimum jail standard shown below.

§275.1 – Regular Observation by Jailers

The rule states that inmates known to be potentially suicidal, mentally ill, assaultive, or who have behaved in a bizarre manner must be observed every 30 minutes.

• The TCJS inspector’s finding was that face-to-face observations of these high-risk inmates exceeded the 30-minute time limit.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

The purpose of this website’s posts is to provide helpful information for county jail prisoners in Texas. It is not intended on this site to imply that individuals or institutions have engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor