Leslie Joron Thackston was 44 years old when she entered Dallas County Jail in Dallas, Texas, on July 15, 2023. Tragically, she died three days later. The cause of her July 18, 2023, death is unknown and pending the results of an autopsy.

Can Noncompliance of Jails Affect Incidents of Suicide? Continued

During intake at Red River County Jail in Clarksville, Texas, a jail inspection found that the form for suicide screening was not filled out in its entirety with regard to detainee Christopher Wayne Cabler. After being admitted to the jail on April 16, 2019, Mr. Cabler committed suicide by hanging himself. He died at age 41 on May 5, 2019.

The special jail inspection showed that Red River County Jail was in violation of the following minimum jail standard:

Rule §273.5(b)-Screening Instrument

After a special jail inspection on September 17, 2019, Red River County Jail was cited for violation of Rule §273.5(b)-Screening Instrument. The rule states that an approved mental disabilities/suicide prevention screening instrument shall be completed immediately on all inmates admitted.

• Inspector Jason Jouette with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) noted that the Screening Form for Suicide and Medical/Mental/ Developmental Impairments was not being filled out in its entirety as required by minimum jail standards.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this five-part series.

Helping Texas inmates housed in county and municipal jails and their families is among the purposes of this website. It is never intended on this site to implicate individuals or institutions in acts of wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor