David Brian Hamilton was 46 years old when he died of strangulation resulting from suicide. Mr. Hamilton was an inmate of Parker County Jail in Weatherford, Texas, at the time he was declared brain dead on February 8, 2021. The tragic death occurred 12 days after Mr. Hamilton’s arrival at the jail.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has built suicide prevention into the minimum jail standards for the state’s county jails. One of the requirements is for jail staff members to be trained on how to recognize when a person is potentially suicidal. Research shows that all inmates are potential suicide risks.

Jail Suicides

Studies show that there is some predictability in the timing of suicides. Multiple sources have identified the pattern in which most suicides occur when an inmate is within his or her first 24 hours of incarceration. The second group most at risk are those who have been jailed for two to 14 days.

The following are a few examples of many different warning signs that an inmate may be suicidal, and many are discovered during intake screening.

• Some studies show that suicidal behavior could be transmitted genetically. Therefore, inmates who have a family member that committed suicide could be at a heightened risk.
• If an inmate indicates that he or she has been a victim of same-sex rape during a prior incarceration, this is a warning sign that the person may be at risk for committing suicide.
• When an inmate talks about death, they are providing a warning sign of possible suicide.

Learn more in this continuing series.

On this website, there is no intent to imply that misdeeds have occurred on the part of individuals or institutions. Each post is added as a potential resource to help prisoners now or formerly incarcerated at county jails in Texas. 

–Guest Contributor