Gilbert Shaw Medina died at age 32 on February 11, 2022. He committed suicide in Collin County Jail in McKinney, Texas. December 8, 2021 was the day he was booked into the jail.

Factors that Contribute to Suicidal Behaviors

The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) prepared a report on custodial suicide, and it provides many insights. A plethora of social, environmental, psychological, and biological factors can lead to suicide. The following are among the contributors that increase a person’s risk for possible suicidal behavior:

• Chronic pain
• A physical health condition
• A mental health condition
• Alcohol and substance use disorders
• Head trauma
• Family history of suicide or mental health conditions
• Early life physical or sexual abuse or trauma

The following are among the current factors that could increase the likelihood of an inmate committing suicide:

• Access to a lethal means is a primary factor leading to death
• Current alcohol and substance use
• Life stressors
• Current physical and mental health conditions
• Access to care or lack of it

Tools and Interventions that Can Help Prevent Suicide

Because there are many types of intervention and tools for suicide prevention, custodial suicides are often considered preventable. The following can help with suicide prevention:

• Providing treatment to address mental health conditions
• Developing a plan to manage suicidal thoughts and behaviors
• Limiting access to lethal means
• Helping inmates through the immediate crisis they are facing

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and ongoing installments in this series.

Suggesting that a person or entity has been a participant in wrongs is never an intention on this website. These posts purpose to assist current and former county jail inmates in Texas.

–Guest Contributor