On May 24, 2022, Ashley Elizabeth Maxwell was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and resisting arrest. When booked into Gregg County Jail in Longview, Texas, she was placed on suicide watch due to her known history of mental illness and drug abuse. The custodial death report (CDR) for Ms. Maxwell provides a detailed description of her method of hanging herself. She had used a television cable and took special pains to ensure that the cable would stay in place to hold her weight. Her death has been investigated by the Texas Rangers with assistance from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office, Criminal Investigation Division.

Myths about Suicide

The leading cause of death in city and county jails is suicide. Research has revealed that the threat of suicide is a complicated issue. In exploring ways to prevent custodial suicides, foundational matters are often taken into consideration. For example, there are many myths about suicide that need to be exposed among those who are part of suicide prevention programs, namely, virtually every member of a jail staff.

In a document on suicide prevention and crisis intervention, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office provides information about suicide myths and the opposing facts that debunk them, and the following are examples:

Suicide Myth #1:  Individuals who openly make suicidal statements or threaten to commit suicide don’t go through with the act.

• Fact: The majority of people who threaten suicide or make suicidal statements, whether the statements are direct or indirect, do end up committing suicide.

Suicide Myth #2: Confronting an inmate with direct, probing statements about whether they have suicidal thoughts will end up causing him or her to kill themself.

• Fact: Showing an interest in a person’s welfare by discussing the possibility of suicidal thoughts cannot make them suicidal.

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

Helping inmates currently or previously incarcerated in a city or county jail in Texas is the purpose of this website. There is never an intention of making accusations of wrongdoing against people or entities.

–Guest Contributor