Bailey County Jail is Cited for a Suicide Screening Violation
Bailey County Jail has been cited for one violation of minimum jail standards. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website now lists the Muleshoe, Texas, jail as one of the jails in Texas that were found to be non-compliant. A special jail inspection report was issued on May 16, 2025, and a notice of non-compliance was sent to Bailey County Jail on May 19, 2025. The violation pertains to the screening instrument designed to identify when inmates are potentially suicidal and/or exhibit medical/mental/developmental impairments. The inspectors’ note indicates the following:
- Screening forms for suicide and medical/mental/developmental impairments were reviewed, and it was discovered that on 5 of 10 occasions, Bailey County Jail staff did not fill out the form in its entirety. It was determined, as well, that the inmates provided affirmative answers to the questions, however, staff did not place comments in the remarks field as required by the form.
The above findings of TCJS inspectors are very similar to notes after an October 18, 2022, jail inspection of Bailey County Jail.
Bailey County Jail has an inmate capacity of 25. The jail’s address is 405 West 2nd Street in Muleshoe, Texas 79347.
Investigations Find that Many U.S. Jails Fail to Stop Preventable Suicides
Tanna Jo Fillmore was 25 years old when she was incarcerated in Utah’s Duchesne County Jail. The family claims that their loved one was denied the Xanax and hyperactivity medication that had stabilized her mental illness. Having repeatedly expressed desperation over never receiving her meds, Ms. Fillmore died from hanging herself in her cell in November 2016, on her ninth day in the Duchesne County Jail. The address of the jail is 21554 W 9000 S, Duchesne, UT 84021
An investigation into jail suicides discovered that in about one-third of 165 cases of jail suicide, the staff allegedly failed to provide the detainee with their prescribed medications. Other discoveries uncovered in the review of allegedly preventable suicides follow:
- Many of the inmates were not checked as required–usually every 15 to 30 minutes–due to inadequate training or jail staffing shortages.
- More than 50 percent of the suicides occurred within the first 7 days of incarceration, the first week being recognized as a stressful time for coping with sudden confinement.
- Approximately 80 percent of the detainees were awaiting trial when they committed suicide.
- Hanging is by far the method used most frequently by inmates to commit suicide, and the inmates most often used shower curtains, bedsheets, and clothing as ligatures.
- Even when inmates had warned staff that they might harm themselves, some were given razors, which were subsequently used for suicide.
Compassionate Legal Help for Jail Medical Neglect Cases
If you believe your loved one’s death in a municipal or county jail was caused by inadequate medical care, neglect, or abuse, it’s important to have knowledgeable legal representation. At the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. we are committed to standing up for families who have experienced the devastating loss of someone in custody. Our firm has deep experience with wrongful death claims involving jails and understands the unique challenges these cases present.
We’re available to review your case at no cost. Reach out anytime by phone, text, or through our secure online form.
smchugh
smchugh