A Teen with a History of Suicidal Behavior Commits Suicide in a Texas Jail

A 16-year-old young man was certified as an adult and imprisoned with adults. This was despite the fact that his history was replete with suicidal behavior. He committed suicide in a Texas facility in March 2023, and lack of supervision has allegedly been found to be a contributing factor.

The teen was found in his cell with a sheet tied around his neck. He was supposed to have a face-to-face observation by a jailer in increments not to exceed every 15 minutes. It has been alleged that the jail staff did not follow the policy in conducting appropriate checks. An attitude of complacency was found when checking observation logs.

The teen’s history showed that he was hospitalized 12 times during the pandemic because he was causing himself severe harm.

Children who are at least 14 in Texas can be adjudicated through the adult system if a prosecutor and judge have deemed their crimes serious enough to justify them being treated as adults. A state report indicates that in 2021, 138 teens were certified to stand trial as adults.

The reason this 16-year-old who died in March was certified as an adult was that he assaulted a jail staff member in a juvenile detention center.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 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