Four corrections officers at a county jail outside of Texas have been suspended because of an alleged failure to immediately intervene during an inmate’s attempt at suicide. No criminal charges have ever been filed against any of the jail staff, however. The four jailers allegedly watched as an inmate tried to hang himself from a pipe in his jail cell. The inmate allegedly dangled from the pipe for seven minutes, which has resulted in brain damage caused by lack of oxygen.

The officers have referred to the suicide attempt as a manipulative gesture, and it has been used as a defense of their actions. There is an ongoing investigation with regard to the inmate’s suicide attempt, and it is estimated that matters will not be resolved until sometime in 2021.

Suicide Prevention in Texas Jails

Suicide prevention is a matter that is addressed in Texas jails by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Frequent face-to-face observations are proven effective in preventing suicides and other custodial deaths. Of course, this assumes that if an officer observes that an inmate appears to be unresponsive or is attempting to commit suicide, intervention would be immediate.

In recent months, at least a couple of jails were cited for alleged violations of the safety standards regarding inmate observations. In one tragic custodial death, an inmate was supposed to be observed every 15 minutes because he was in a WRAP restraint system. The jailers exceeded the 15-minute maximum time frame, and the inmate was found unresponsive.

In this ongoing series, learn more about Texas minimum jail standards designed to prevent inmates from committing suicide.

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