After their 23-year-old loved one attempted to commit suicide in a jail cell and later died after being taken off of life support, a family is seeking answers. One of the complications to their account of what happened is that the sheriff’s office has, so far, failed to disclose whether the young man was booked into the jail with the designation of being potentially suicidal or mentally ill. When inmates are admitted into jail as being at risk, they are monitored more closely.

Deputies are supposed to check the general inmate population every 30 minutes, according to state law. If, however, an inmate is considered to possibly be mentally ill or suicidal, they must be monitored in person every 15 minutes. In addition to that, there are certain steps that must be taken in connection with such inmates. The jail staff is required to check the Department of State Health Services CCQ system to determine whether or not the inmate has previously received mental healthcare from the state.

The family of the deceased 23-year-old want to know if the jail did its due diligence and gave their loved one the kind of oversight he needed as an at-risk inmate. The young man suffered from bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia, according to the family. They say that over the past year, evidence of his mental health issues has been well-documented in the court system.

The only account the family has received from the sheriff’s department at this point is that their loved one was found to be unresponsive during a routine inmate wellness and health check. According to guards, the young man was found after a 20-minute gap in time and was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The family wants to know why the staff left him by himself.

Many families have had to face the loss of a loved one who committed suicide in jail. The criminal justice system addresses the issue of avoiding custodial suicides. Each city and county jail in Texas is required to have preventative measures in place. If an inmate’s custodial death is determined to be caused by an unconstitutional custom, policy, or practice, the jail can be sued.

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–Guest Contributor