A Suicidal Inmate’s Jail Experience and Death

The following are details about one of the suicides that was thoroughly investigated, to be continued in the next installment:

Her son was a suicidal heroin addict, and she was desperate to ensure his safety. This mother turned him in to the police, begging them not to tell him that she had done so. After the 29-year-old hung himself on his fourth day in jail, an investigation revealed that the jail made some missteps that may have contributed to the tragedy. Of this case, it has been said that everything that could have gone amiss did. Events of the inmate’s jail experience follow:

• A judge determined that he had a severe drug addiction and a full mental health evaluation was required.
• After his arraignment, he was transferred to the jail the following day.
• The police failed to inform jail officials that the man had exhibited suicidal behavior while in their custody.
• The inmate went through processing without an evaluation by a mental health professional.
• He was placed in the general population where there are no safeguards in place for people who are at a high risk of self-harm.
• A town police officer allegedly told the man that his mother turned him in, which worsened his depression.
• The inmate draped a blanket over his door, which was a common violation that jailers failed to act upon. As a result, the officers were unable to conduct face-to-face checks, as required.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, and Part 12 of this continuing series.

Helping Texas jail detainees and their families with resources is one of the purposes of this website. There is no intention of suggesting that people or organizations have been involved in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor