On June 25, 2020, Abdullahi Mohamed died in Fort Worth, Texas, at Tarrant County Jail. Mr. Mohamed was booked into custody nine days before his death, and it was noted that he exhibited mental health problems. The Medical Examiner indicated that the cause of death could not be determined.

The number of custodial deaths is a concern not only in Texas but across the nation. In recent months, another state reported on a link between medical care and custodial suicides. A previous medical care provider was replaced and a direct result of the change was a marked increase in custodial suicides. The gist of the report was that a lack of appropriate access to mental health resources resulted in an increase in jail fatalities.

According to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, medical care is the area that gets the most inmate complaints in Texas. Meanwhile, a majority of inmates these days have mental health problems. Counties in Texas and many other states do not have adequate funds to handle both the medical needs and the mental needs of inmates.

Community-based mental health solutions are lacking throughout the country, and Texas county jails are not alone in that they are left to deal with the bulk of the resulting burden.

Learn more in this continuing series.

With the intention of assisting inmates now or previously incarcerated in a Texas county jail, this website provides posts as informational resources. It is not intended for any person or entity to be implicated in any sort of wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor