Suicide Prevention Continued

At the county jail outside Texas that is the subject of this series, jail training materials indicate that the following are treatments and procedures offered to inmates showing signs of being at risk for suicide:

• Scheduled welfare checks
• Regular physical health examinations
• Regular assessments of mental health to include psychiatry, when deemed necessary

According to the leading jailer, suicidal inmates are generally housed in cells by themselves for safety reasons. Observation checks are performed every 15 minutes by jail staff. A mental health professional determines when suicidal inmates are fit to be returned to their housing unit.

There is not a standard in that state for handling suicide prevention. Jails generally establish their own policies. Experts in the field have concluded that isolating suicidal inmates by placing them alone in a cell tends to be detrimental because it heightens the sense of alienation.

An expert on suicides in correctional facilities who is nationally recognized has said that suicidal inmates should be housed within the general population, at the medical infirmary, in the mental health unit, or near jail staff to every extent possible. She further says that research shows that inmates are reluctant to discuss suicidal thoughts because of the harsh conditions associated with precautions to prevent suicide. Of the inmates interviewed, 75% of them said that they did not want to be placed in an observation cell.

The issue of suicide prevention is a matter that seems to be taken seriously in the state of Texas by the Commission in charge of jail policies. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards has recently made more changes to try and ensure policies that are effective at preventing custodial suicides.

See Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this four-part series.

The posts on this website are meant as informational resources that could help current and former inmates as well as their families. At no time is it intended on this website to make an indication of any kind that an institution or individual has engaged in impropriety.

–Guest Contributor