Robert John Barela committed suicide on February 23, 2022, while incarcerated in El Paso County Jail. Mr. Barela had been at the jail for a total of 13 days when he took his own life by hanging himself. The address of El Paso County Jail is 601 E. Overland Street in El Paso, TX 79901.

Suicide is a crucial matter in jail settings. It is the number one cause of inmate deaths. Upon entry into a Texas county jail, inmates are screened to determine whether they are at risk for suicide. However, no test can provide 100% accurate results in identifying individuals who might attempt or succeed at suicide. Risk factors are warning signs that can help identify at-risk inmates and place them in areas where face-to-face observations are more frequent. In the most protective environments, suicidal inmates have no access to materials that can be used to form a ligature with which to hang themselves.

Risk Factors for Inmate Suicide

The following are risk factors that increase the possibility of an inmate committing suicide:

• The inmate is a Caucasian male. White males are the victims in 73% of all U.S. suicides.
• An inmate is between the ages of 15 to 24 years old. Inmates over the age of 65 are also at significant risk.
• Depression is also a warning signs, with 30% to 40% of all suicide victims having been diagnosed with depression.
• The inmate has made a previous attempt at suicide.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and this ongoing series.

Accusing persons or entities of wrongdoing is not intended on this website. The purpose of all posts is to help prisoners now or formerly housed in county jails in Texas.

–Guest Contributor