A custodial death report was released about Daniel Lee Blankenship, who was an inmate at Johnson County Jail in Cleburne, Texas, when he tried to commit suicide. Unfortunately, his attempt succeeded because he died on February 12, 2021, a few days after being found unresponsive in his cell.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has established procedures for intake screening as part of the suicide prevention plan. Texas county jails are often cited for noncompliance in areas related to preventing inmate suicide, and the following are examples.

Non-compliance in Intake Screening

A standard violated was section 273 paragraph .5(2), which requires that referrals be made to available mental health officials when an inmate is known or observed to be potentially suicidal or mentally disabled.

• In a report released on April 8, 2021, the TCJS inspector found that the jail was not consistently notifying a magistrate within 12 hours as required, nor were they notifying mental health.

Non-Compliance in Supervision

Inmates who are known to be potentially suicidal and other at-risk inmates must be observed every 30 minutes at most. Supervision is known to be one of the most effective deterrents against inmate suicide.

• In a Jail Inspection Report dated April 12, 2021, the TCJS inspector found that jailers exceeded the 30-minute time frame for making face-to-face observations of inmates.

See Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

The posts provided on this website purpose to help current and past inmates at county jails in Texas. There is at no time an intention to suggest that persons or institutions have been engaged in improprieties.

–Guest Contributor