The custodial death report for Gilbert Shaw Medina was prepared by the Collin County Sheriff’s Office in McKinney, Texas. The report shows that Mr. Medina made suicidal statements. Yet, he had access to an item with which to fashion a ligature. The 32-year-old committed suicide on February 11, 2022.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) requires all jail personnel to receive training on suicide prevention. A study on this topic details some of the complexities of inmate suicide. Psychiatric, genetic, biological, and psychosocial factors combine with institutional stress, often leading to suicide. Inmates come from all different backgrounds. Suicide can occur whether they are in pretrial detention or serving variable sentences. Inmates have different resources and coping skills.

All inmates are required to comply with restrictions, rules, and supervision that go hand-in-hand with incarceration. Undue stress occurs when inmates find the situation intimidating or unacceptable. When an inmate rebels against confinement, he or she experiences additional undue stress.

Various renowned psychologists have weighed in on the matter of inmate suicide. The following is the first among several theories about suicide in county jails to be covered in this series:

Many inmates are disenfranchised and alienated from society. Anchors in their lives are limited. Anomic suicides involve these types of inmates who have situations so drastically changed that there is no personal relevance to norms. These suicides occur at a high rate among inmates who previously held a high social status.

Learn more in Part 1 and this continuing series.

Implying that individuals or institutions engaged in misdeeds is never intended on this website. Helping Texas county jail inmates, whether now or formerly incarcerated, is the purpose of these posts.

–Guest Contributor