At about 10:00 AM on his 16^th day in the Travis County Jail in Austin, Texas, Victor Rene Gonzales was observed naked on the floor of the single-man cell where he was housed. He informed a post officer that he was having trouble breathing. Medical personnel with the jail were alerted about his difficulty breathing. Mr. Gonzales was told to dress himself so that he could be examined by medical staff. But at about 10:20 AM, he became non-responsive. Lifesaving measures were initiated, and he was transported by ambulance to Dell Seton Medical Center. There, Mr. Gonzales was pronounced deceased at 3:43 AM on September 4, 2022.

A report about the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) was prepared for the 2020-2021 87^th Texas Legislature, and the death of Sandra Bland is mentioned. The report indicates that prior to Ms. Bland’s suicide in Waller County Jail in Hempstead, Texas, TCJS was primarily out of the spotlight. Scrutiny of minimum jail standards was requested after that high-profile tragedy.

More effective suicide prevention strategies have been suggested, considering the high number of suicides in Texas jails. For instance, almost one-fifth of all Texas inmate deaths in 2019 were suicides. Among the deficiencies identified in Texas jails purportedly resulting from informal staff guidelines was that plans requiring suicide prevention training for jail staff are underdeveloped. Texas jails are often cited for non-compliance with regard to training on how to prevent inmate suicide.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this ongoing series.

The goal of providing information on this website is to help Texas inmates who are now or have previously been prisoners in county or municipal jails in the state. Making allegations that entities or persons have been involved in wrongdoing is never an intention.

–Guest Contributor