A Suicidal Inmate’s Jail Experience and Death Continued

While the officers were yelling the inmate’s name rather than seeing him for a face-to-face check, the inmate at that moment was fashioning a makeshift noose. He took his own life that day.

A Razor was Distributed to a Suicidal Inmate

A 54-year-old inmate received a razor and other personal hygiene items before taking a shower. Shortly afterward, he was discovered face-down in his cell. He was bleeding from a self-inflicted laceration to his neck. A commission’s mandatory review discovered that the documentation of the distribution of the inmate’s medications was inconsistent. Also, a lack of psychiatric services may have been a contributing factor in his suicide. The inmate also had escalating behaviors, including a bizarre escape attempt.

Several Lapses in Care Contributed to a Suicide

Compounding systemic errors were identified which had gone unrecognized, uncorrected, and resulted in serious lapses in the medical and mental health care a 57-year-old inmate received in a county jail. He was in the jail’s custody for only nine days. A misstep made by the healthcare providers was they failed to adequately calculate the inmate’s drug withdrawal score. In addition, his psychiatric medication was not properly documented. The board concluded that the death may have been prevented if it had not been for those missteps.

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, Part 12, and Part 13 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