Michael Lowell Rodden, age 48, was booked into Bowie County Jail on July 3, 2019. According to a custodial death report, he hung himself and died in his cell three days later. Bowie County Jail is a Bi-State Jail located in Texarkana, Texas.

Suicide is a serious problem in Texas jails, and studies have been done to explore ways to reduce the number of custodial suicides. The following is information about suicide victim characteristics.

Age

The median age of suicide victims in Texas jails is 33, according to data reflected in a 2013 report. This age group encompassing inmates from age 25 to 34 is the largest population group, at 37%. It has been suggested through evidence found in several studies that jail suicide is an increasing risk that grows with age. Inmates age 55 and older commit suicide at more than double the rate of the younger group.

Gender

About 93% of the suicide victims in Texas are male. Of the above-mentioned study, only 7 of the 102 suicides were females. National statistics show that male suicides make up about 93% of all custodial suicides nationwide.

Time Since Admission

Two-thirds of all jail suicides occur within a month of being booked into jail, statistics show. Approximately 18% of custodial suicides occur within 24 hours of admittance. Another 42% occur within the first week of being incarcerated.

See more of this three-part series.

This website’s posts are provided as a way of assisting former and current county jail inmates in the state of Texas. There is no intention on this site to suggest that individuals or entities have been engaged in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor