Ector County Jail is Cited for Noncompliance with Rules Related to Suicide Prevention

Ector County Jail in Odessa, Texas, was sent a Notice of Non-Compliance on May 29, 2023, after a special jail inspection report was issued on May 25, 2023. Both of the minimum jail standards that were violated pertained to an inmate suicide. Information about the suicides and the alleged violations of minimum jail standards related to the deaths are below and in the next installment of this series.

A 38-Year-Old Ector County Jail Inmate Commits Suicide on 2/2/23

A 38-year-old inmate was in a single-occupancy cell, which is referred to as a “rack down cell” in the custodial death report (CDR) about his death. Jail staff was conducting their routine daily rounds on February 2, 2023. While checking on cell 7115, they observed the inmate hanging by his neck in the cell. He appeared to be deceased. Jail staff entered the cell, cut the inmate down, and began administering lifesaving measures. An ambulance was called, and medics administered CPR. They pronounced the man deceased at 4:27 PM on February 2, 2023. The CDR reveals that this incident in which the man took his own life was caught on camera.

In relation to this suicide, Ector County Jail was cited for violation of Rule §273.5 (3)- Mental Disabilities/Suicide Prevention Plan, Part (3) Communication. Procedures for communication of information relating to inmates who are mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal.

• The TCJS inspector, after a review of documentation of the in-custody death that occurred in February 2023, determined by a TCJS inspector that while medical noted the inmate was suffering from psychosis and MHMR would be notified, no such notification was made.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 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