Thirty-nine-year-old Johnny Gutierrez was booked into Cameron County Jail in Brownsville, Texas, on January 8, 2023. On January 26, 2023, he used a mattress cover to fashion a ligature, and he hanged himself. When this was discovered, he was immediately transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased the next day. The address of the jail is 954 E. Harrison, Brownsville, TX 78520.

Inmate Suicides and Suicide Attempts Increasing in Texas

A report prepared by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) in 2017 revealed that custodial suicides in the state increased by 40% between 2008 and 2014. The number of attempts at suicide also jumped dramatically. The average number of custodial suicides attempted in Texas prisons each month increased by 28%. From 81.7 attempts monthly in 2014, during the first eight months of 2015 alone, there were 104.5 suicide attempts.

Statistics show that almost a third of the 134 TDCJ inmate suicides that occurred from January 2011 through September 2015 happened in administrative segregation (ad seg) units. Yet, inmates in ad seg make up only 4% of the overall prison population in the state.

Taking note of the surge in inmate suicides, additional mental health training was required for staff members. Current officers go to monthly sessions, and 33 hours of mental health training are required for new guards.

Learn more in this ongoing series.

Providing helpful resources for Texas inmates detained in county and municipal jails is the purpose of this website. Making accusations against persons or institutions is never intended.

–Guest Contributor