When she entered Dallas County Jail on July 15, 2023, the information obtained during intake for 44-year-old Leslie Joron Thackston appears to be incomplete. It states “unknown” on four questions about her state at the time, such as did she exhibit medical problems. She was pronounced deceased on July 18, approximately 58 hours after entering the Dallas jail.

Can Noncompliance of Jails Affect Incidents of Suicide?

In May 2019, Red River County Jail detainee Christopher Wayne Cabler died after hanging himself. Per standard protocol, a special jail inspection was conducted at the jail after Mr. Cabler’s tragic death. Inspector Wendy Wisneski with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) conducted that inspection and cited Red River County Jail for three areas of alleged noncompliance. All three were in the chapter on Health Services.

Alleged Violation of Rule §273.3-Health Instructions

Red River County Jail in Clarksville, Texas, allegedly failed to comply with Rule §273.3-Health Instructions, per the special jail inspection report dated July 24, 2019. The rule states that all medical instructions of designated physicians shall be followed.

• Inspector Wisneski’s notes follow: After reviewing medical documentation, it was determined that medications prescribed after a hospital visit were only administered for three days with no indication that the medication had been discontinued. There were two additional medications that were given to Inmate Cabler where no corresponding doctor’s order for those medications could be provided.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and this continuing series.

Helping Texas inmates housed in county and municipal jails and their families is among the purposes of this website. It is never intended on this site to implicate individuals or institutions in acts of wrongdoing. –Guest Contributor