A federal statistics report revealed that, in 3,000 jails surveyed, 372 inmates committed suicide. According to attorneys and civil rights advocates, custodial suicides are largely avoidable.

Another source says the vast majority of the suicides can be foreseen and prevented. That source has further stated that suicides continue to occur at a high rate in county jails because of a cultural superciliousness that exists toward taking the steps that would clearly help with suicide prevention.

In answer to the preceding accusation, a sheriff dubbed the assessment nonsensical. In his experience, jail officials are diligent about protecting inmates. The problem, he says, is that the situation is impossible, considering that the mentally ill are now warehoused in local jails. A jail is a criminal environment that isn’t appropriate for the mentally ill, the sheriff says.

An Inmate is Denied Prescription Medication

The death of another specific inmate in a county jail was detailed in this news story. Details are provided about problems in her youth, depression as a teen, and being diagnosed with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and panic disorder. The woman got married at age 21 and began using methamphetamines.

The woman ultimately pled guilty to drug charges and was placed on probation, which she later violated, ultimately ending up in a county jail. During the booking process, the woman informed the booking clerk about the prescriptions she needed. A licensed practical nurse denied repeated requests for the prescriptions and accused the woman of being a drug addict. The doctor who would have been the one to prescribe medications was never asked to approve medications for the inmate. Tragically, the woman used a bed sheet to hang herself. She died four days before her court hearing.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this ongoing series. In the next and final installment, learn more stories about inmates who died in jail and whose family members seek answers.

The posts on this site are intended to provide assistance to Texas inmates and their families. There is never an intention to suggest that a person or institution has been involved in any kind of impropriety.

–Guest Contributor