After one week as an inmate at Dallas County Jail in Dallas, Texas, 46-year-old Rad Douglas Harrison died from a suicide attempt. He had been discovered by a fellow inmate, and immediate efforts to revive him failed. December 18, 2017, was the date of his untimely death.

Numerous studies have been done on suicide prevention in jails, and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has updated minimum jail standards from time to time in an effort to prevent inmate suicide.

The following are recommendations for the prevention of custodial suicide identified in a study by a state government outside of Texas.

Housing for Suicidal Prisoners

Specific cells should be designated and utilized for the housing of suicidal inmates. The suicide-resistant cells must be free of protrusions. Modifications are typically needed with regard to lights, drains, grills, ducts, telephone cords, vents, clothing hooks, desks, smoke detectors, toilets, beds, stools, shelves, modesty walls, and smoke detectors.

Monitoring

Audio and video should be used to provide increased visibility of suicidal inmates day and night. Monitoring for suicide attempts includes hearing potential calls for distress coming from suicide-resistant housing.

Training

Jail staff should be trained in the use of a Suicide Risk Assessment tool that should be implemented during a risk assessment and when an inmate has been referred as a potentially suicidal inmate. Suicide precautions should be initiated when indicated, including when there are reports of suicidal behavior during previous incarcerations.

See Part 1 and Part 2 of this ongoing series.

With the aim of helping inmates now or previously incarcerated in Texas county jails, posts are provided on this website. This site never intends to imply that persons or entities have engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor