Daniel Lee Blankenship was an inmate at Johnson County Jail in Cleburne, Texas, when he was found unresponsive in his single-person cell on February 8, 2021. Life-saving measures were immediately initiated, and EMS personnel took him to a nearby hospital. Tragically, he passed away on February 12 from the effects of a suicide attempt.

Suicide Prevention

Suicide prevention is a matter of importance in all jails because suicide rates in lock-up facilities are significantly higher than among the general population. Studies have been done in attempting to discover the best methods for inmate suicide prevention. Training of jail guards, intake personnel, and other employees can help to prevent inmate suicides.

The following are among the questions answered in suicide prevention training:

• When are inmates at an increased suicidal risk?
• What events are known to potentially trigger a suicide attempt?
• How should jail personnel respond to prisoners who are actively suicidal?  
• How significant is early suicide intervention?

Main Topics in Suicide Prevention Training

• Identification and screening of jail inmates who are at risk for suicide.
• Intervention in a suicide event.
• Communication between jail personnel about inmates at risk for committing suicide.
• Supervision and observation of inmates at risk for suicide.
• How to report and investigate suicide attempts.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has provided a section in the Texas Code regarding Suicide Prevention. Learn more in the next segment of this series.

This website purposes to provide assistance to prisoners currently and formerly held in county jails in Texas. There is never an intention to infer wrongs on the part of persons or entities.

–Guest Contributor