An Overview of Suicide Prevention Practices

There are protocols for handling suicidal prisoners. The following requirements are part of the suicide prevention program at San Quentin State Prison. They are very similar to the rules adopted for Texas county and municipal jails, which are the mandatory minimum jail standards established by the Texas Commission for Jail Standards (TCJS).

The following guidelines for suicide watch are mostly designed to prevent inmates from hanging themselves. Hanging is the most common suicide method in prisons, jails, and hospitals—sometimes as much as 80% or more of the suicides in a particular jail happen by hanging. Not all of the rules that follow apply in every situation because some inmates are considered immediate and imminent suicide risks, and some are designated as possibly suicidal. Suicidal inmates are:

• Placed in an observation cell
• Kept away from dangerous objects
• Given a paper gown
• Not provided with any type of fabric that could be used to fashion a ligature
• Given an extra thick blanket that cannot be torn into strips or tied
• Placed in cells with no protrusions from the ceiling, walls, or furniture—examples are sprinkler heads, bunk handles, and window cages.
• Sometimes placed in cells with 24-hour video surveillance
• Checked in face-to-face observations every 30 or every 15 minutes

Also learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, and Part 9 of this continuing series.

Providing help to inmates now or formerly detained in a Texas municipal or county jail is one of the purposes of this website. There is never an intention of implying that misdeeds have occurred on the part of individuals or institutions.

–Guest Contributor