The Texas Rangers were notified to investigate the September 15, 2021 death of 72-year-old Leo Lawrence. Mr. Lawrence was in the custody of Wichita County Jail in Wichita Falls, Texas, at the time of his passing. He was in a Wichita Falls health care facility when he was pronounced dead, and the cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.

Custodial suicide is something that virtually every prisoner can be at risk for. Through extensive research, a wide range of risk factors for suicide have emerged. Statistics also show that suicide and natural causes involving health issues are usually the first or second leading causes of death in jails.

Risk Factors for Custodial Suicide

The suicide rate among incarcerated individuals is consistently higher than the rate among those who are not behind bars. The following is information demonstrating that diligence in preventing suicide is essential in county jails.

• The first seven days of any inmate’s incarceration is a time of special risk. This is due to a perfect storm of stressors associated with initial incarceration.
• Pretrial inmates are often riddled with questions about what may happen to them, and this time of uncertainty places them at greater risk for suicidal thoughts and intentions.
• Psychotic inmates and mentally ill individuals experiencing depression are tremendous suicidal risks.

Learn more in Part 1 and this ongoing series.

There is no intention on this website to make an implication that a person or entity has engaged in wrongdoing. The purpose for adding posts is to help Texas prisoners currently or previously incarcerated in a county jail.

–Guest Contributor