“Keeplock” Confinement Status Continued

The investigation into the death of a 22-year-old by suicide found a pattern of delays in the mental health care services provided to the young man. Because he was on keeplock confinement status, it was considered a total failure that he did not get more help. It was known that he made a prior suicide attempt. He might have been referred to a substance abuse program or provided with a comprehensive suicide risk assessment. But those breakdowns were not the worst of it.

Claims have been made that in the hours preceding the inmate’s suicide, correction officers beat him. The inmate had ingested a synthetic cannabinoid and started behaving in a violent manner. The situation was analyzed by a Special Investigations Unit. The unit found that the correctional officers had used excessive force.

A Warning Call Falls on Deaf Ears

In 2018, a man was jailed in a 131-year-old facility that is now entirely shuttered. He placed multiple phone calls to his daughter, and each was distressing. In one call, according to the final report from the commission, he said he was getting out of there one way or another and it was not going to be good. More about this story is in the next installment of this series. Also see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, and Part 16 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