Menard County, Texas Jail Inmate Commits Suicide – Jail Fails State Inspection

iStock 157569394 — Inside The Old Idaho State Penitentiary

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”), on May 21, 2020, conducted an inspection of the Menard County jail in Menard, Texas. As a result of the inspection, the Menard County jail is now listed as being non-compliant with minimum State standards.

The TCJS inspector found several serious issues with the Menard County jail. It appears that the inspection might have occurred as a result of an inmate’s death.

The TCJS inspector noted that the Menard County jail violated the provision which requires inmates confined in a holding cell or detoxification cell to be observed by facility personnel at intervals not to exceed 30 minutes. The TCJS inspector noted, during a review of documentation for visual face-to-face observation checks of inmates in holding and detox, that Menard County jail staff were not conducting 30-minute welfare checks as required.

The TCJS inspector also cited the minimum standard requiring training for jail staff regarding procedures for recognition, supervision, documentation, and handling of inmates who are mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal. Amazingly, the TCJS inspector wrote, “The jail staff have not been provided Suicide Prevention Training since March 2018.” Suicide prevention training is a very important part of being a jailer in a Texas county jail or city holding facility. If jailers are unable to determine when a person is suicidal, then jailers are unable to take appropriate action.

Further, and in line with the immediately preceding issue, the TCJS inspector noted that the suicide screening form was not completed for an inmate who had committed suicide by hanging on May 16, 2020. There is absolutely no excuse for a suicide screening form to not be completed at intake in any Texas county jail. The report does not mention the name of the inmate who committed suicide by hanging on May 16, 2020 and, as of the drafting of this post, no custodial death report has apparently been filed by the Menard County jail with the Attorney General of Texas regarding that death.

Finally, the TCJS inspector cited the minimum jail standard that Texas county jails have an established procedure for documented face-to-face observations of all inmates by jailers no less than once every 60 minutes. The TCJS inspector noted, during a review of the observation checks, that Menard County jail staff exceeded the 60 minute welfare checks on a regular basis.

It appears that Menard County jail issues resulted in the suicide of an inmate. Hopefully, the Menard County jail will quickly remedy its issues to avoid any further tragedy.

The United States Constitution requires jailers to protect inmates from suicidal tendencies. When they fail to do so, and someone dies as a result, then claims may be available to certain surviving family members.

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