George William Zink, age 57, was in the custody of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s office in Fort Worth, TX, from November 23, 2022, through to the day of his death, which was February 15, 2023. The autopsy results are pending but indications are that he died by natural causes. The address of the jail where Mr. Zink died is 100 N. Lamar, Fort Worth, Texas 76196.

Can Jails Be Held Accountable for Inmate Suicides?

In a recent story about an event that happened in a U.S. county jail, a deputy was convicted of failing to provide for the safety of those under her watch. A man took a suicidal action and she did not take it seriously. As a result, they basically stood by and watched the man take his own life. As he made the threat, he had the means to do it.

Failing to take a suicidal person seriously is one of the reasons many suicides are successful. Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) requires all jail personnel to receive suicide prevention training, and myth-busting is one of the topics they focus on.

In fact, the first step toward preventing custodial suicides is for each jailer to examine his or her beliefs about suicide. The act of suicide is surrounded by myths.  

In this ongoing series, learn about those myths and more.

Our purpose in posting resources is to help Texas inmates who have been incarcerated in local county and municipal jails in the state. There is never an intention of implicating a person or entity in connection with wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor