Category: Medical Care

After being booked into San Jacinto County Jail in Coldspring, Texas, on July 6, 2021, Tasha Lavergne was put on suicide watch. The 32-year-old was placed in holding cell that was equipped with a phone. Ms. Lavergne used the phone cord in a suicide attempt and died from her injuries on July 13, 2021.

Continuing this series with information from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the following are warning signs and symptoms that an inmate is or may be suicidal, starting with the single best indicator of a person being suicidal:

• The individual exhibits signs and symptoms of depression.
• He or she talks about and perhaps threatens to commit suicide.
• Expresses feelings of helplessness or hopelessness.
• Experiences extreme sadness and crying.
• Loses weight and/or his or her appetite.
• Withdraws into silence.
• Suddenly changes routine sleeping patterns.
• Attitudes about the future are pessimistic.
• Exhibits loss of interest in activities, people, or personal appearance.
• Exhibits sudden changes in mood or behavior such as:
  • Begins to pack and/or gives away his or her belongings.
  • Relating to others becomes increasingly difficult.
  • Exhibits severe aggressiveness or agitation.
  • Is preoccupied with the past and does not deal with the present effectively.
  • Expresses or shows strong shame and/or guilt over offenses.
• Talks unrealistically about getting out of jail.
• He or she may behave very calmly after making the decision to commit suicide.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

This website offers posts as helpful resources that could be of assistance to individuals now or previously incarcerated in a Texas county jail. It is not intended on this site to suggest that people or entities have been engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor

Tasha Lavergne, age 32, was in a holding cell for prisoners on suicide watch at San Jacinto County Jail in Coldspring, Texas, and the room was equipped with a phone that had a cord. Ms. Lavergne used the phone cord to strangle herself. After her third attempt, she was discovered on the floor, but efforts to save her life were ultimately unsuccessful.

The following continues with information from a training course on suicide prevention for Texas jailers that was prepared by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

Key areas to address in developing a suicide prevention plan are:

• Identifying high-risk inmates during the screening process
• Staff training
• Staff communication
• Intervention
• Supervision
• Appropriate Housing
• Reporting
• Follow-up/review

Myth-Busting Facts About Suicide

The following are facts about suicide jailers should be aware of as each is a fact that refutes myths:

• Prior to committing suicide, people usually express suicidal intentions in direct or indirect statements.
• The incidents of suicide are significantly higher in jails as compared with the general population.
• Not all extremely unhappy individuals who committed suicide were mentally ill.
• Discussing the topic of suicide when showing interest in an individual’s welfare is never the reason he or she commits suicide.
• An individual is at a much greater risk for committing suicide if they have made previous attempts.

Learn more in Part 1 and this continuing series.

The hope in providing posts on this website is that the information will help inmates now or formerly housed in Texas county jails. There is no intention to make any kind of implication that persons or entities have engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor

Thirty-two-year-old Tasha Lavergne was on suicide watch in a holding cell at San Jacinto County Jail in Coldspring, Texas, when she wrapped a phone cord around her neck on three different occasions in short succession. She was then discovered on the floor and lifesaving measures were initiated. Ms. Lavergne died on July 13, 2021, having succumbed to the injuries sustained in her suicide attempt.

The serious issue of custodial suicide was recently addressed in a training course offered by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement for Texas jailers. The name of the course is Suicide Detection and Prevention in Jails (Intermediate). According to this resource, suicide is the leading cause of custodial deaths.

Preventing a custodial suicide begins at the point of arrest and should continue through each person’s stay in a county Texas jail. The following components of comprehensive suicide prevention programs are usually present where a facility has been successful in curtailing incidents of suicide:

• Frequent observation of high-risk inmates
• Staff training on suicide prevention
• Well-trained staff members handling intake screening
• A good line of communication between jail staff members
• Prompt intervention of a suicide attempt
• Safe, appropriate housing is provided

Lessons learned through experience indicate that nearly every jail suicide is preventable when recognized practices and standards are followed.

Learn more in this continuing series.

With the intention of providing helpful resources for county jail prisoners in Texas, posts are provided on this website. There is never an intention to imply that wrongs have occurred on the part of people or institutions.

–Guest Contributor

The Houston Police Department, in Houston, Texas, filed a custodial death report regarding the death of David Salinas. Mr. Salinas was 32 years old at the time of his death. We provide in this post information obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The report indicates that Mr. Salinas died as a result of pre-custodial use of force. The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at approximately 1934 hours, Houston Police Department’s Gang Division-Crime Reduction Unit Officers were advised by members of the Houston Police Department’s Vice Division that they needed a vehicle stopped in regards to an operation they were working. CRU Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle, to which the Suspect ignored. The Suspect evaded CRU Officers in his motor vehicle and eventually stuck a pole while attempting to make a U-turn. The Suspect’s vehicle was disabled. CRU Officers approached the Suspect’s vehicle and gave several verbal commands to keep his hands within view, but he continued to place his hands out of sight. Ultimately, the Suspect moved towards the floor board of the vehicle and returned to an upright position quickly. The CRU Officers discharged their duty weapons towards the Suspect. The Suspect was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.”

The report does not make clear why officers did not set up a perimeter and wait for other officers and/or negotiators to arrive. The report also seems to indicate that Mr. Salinas did not have a weapon, or that officers ever saw anything that indicated to them that Mr. Salinas possessed a weapon. Instead, it appears from the report that officers chose to shoot and kill Mr. Salinas because he made quick movements inside of his disabled vehicle.

The 4^th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to not have excessive force used against a person. Police officers must use only reasonable force with a person, and they can only use deadly force under certain circumstances. If a police officer shoots and kills a person, and the force is excessive and/or unreasonable, then certain surviving family members might be able to bring a lawsuit regarding that death. These claims are filed pursuant to federal law, usually by police brutality civil rights lawyers.

The Travis County Sheriff’s Department, in Austin, Texas, filed a custodial death report regarding the death of Alexander Jonah McFarland. Mr. McFarland was only 31 years old at the time of his death. We provide information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The report indicates that Mr. McFarland was originally in Travis County jail custody at 10:12 p.m. on July 3, 2021. It also indicates that he passed away at 11:07 p.m. on July 17, 2021. The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On July 11, 2021 at approximately 1513 I was notified via TCSO Dispatch that CPR was in progress for an inmate in custody at the Travis County Correctional Complex located at 3614 Bill Price Road. I called the complex and spoke to Security Coordinator Denise Traylor who advised me that Austin EMS was on the scene giving CPR to an inmate that attempted suicide in Building 3, and they had been conducting CPR for a while. I responded to the Correctional Complex, and while I was en route, I received a message from dispatch at 1542 advising EMS got a pulse on the inmate. I called the Correctional Complex to confirm and was advised by Traylor that EMS obtained a pulse on the inmate and they were transferring him to the hospital. The inmate, Alexander McFarland, hanged himself inside his cell using his bed sheet as a ligature. The unit in which McFarland was housed had the inmates in single cells, and post visuals were conducted in 30-minute increments. The post officer who made the discovery at approximately 1455 was Officer V. Davis. She was conducting her counts during shift change. During her post visual she discovered McFarland appearing pale and nonresponsive in his cell. Officer Davis noticed a sheet tied around McFarland’s neck and his desk shelf. McFarland’s body was in a seated position against the wall next to his desk. Officer Davis pressed her stat alarm button and then other officers and staff members arrived and began life saving measures until relieved by Austin EMS. A pulse was obtained, and then McFarland was transferred to the hospital. I was informed on July 15, 2021 that McFarland was released from custody on July 14, 2021 at approximately 2047. McFarland had not been declared deceased, but he was not expected to survive. McFarland was kept alive by medical staff and machines to allow for organ procurement. McFarland was pronounced deceased on July 17, 2021 at 2307 hours by Dr. Jason Brocker.”

The report also indicates that Mr. McFarland exhibited mental health problems, but that it was unknown whether he made suicidal statements. However, since the summary indicates that Mr. McFarland was on 30-minute observations, he was likely housed in a portion of the jail in which inmates were likely exhibiting bizarre behavior, mentally ill, or potentially suicidal. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”) requires that, for inmates known to be assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill, or who have demonstrated bizarre behavior, observations be conducted at least every 30 minutes. Unfortunately, while it is certainly a good thing for the TCJS to have such a minimum requirement in place, it is wholly insufficient for anyone who is suicidal.

It takes as little as 3-7 minutes for a person to commit suicide through asphyxiation. Inmates typically use bedding, clothing, telephone cords, and other items in cells to form ligatures. Thus, if an inmate is observed only once every 30 minutes, the inmate can be deceased for 25 minutes if he or she commits suicide after an observation but before the next observation occurs. Therefore, the only logical observation for a suicidal inmate is continuous observation.

Our Texas civil rights law firm is handling a number of jail suicide cases. Unfortunately, we see the same things occurring over and over. We see situations in which jailers are aware that a person has suicidal tendencies and, nonetheless, fail to observe the person and allow the person to have in his or her cell items with which suicide can occur.

The 14^th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of people in Texas jails who have not yet gone to trial to receive reasonable medical care and mental health care, and to be protected from suicidal tendencies. If a violation occurs, and a person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may have claims. These claims are filed pursuant to federal law, and they are very difficult to litigate. Thus, it is important that an attorney representing family members regarding such claims be fully aware of the legal standards that apply and be prepared to confront those in any lawsuit.  

Eddie Garcia was a Nueces County Jail inmate in Corpus Christi, Texas, when he took his own life in June of this year. He strangled himself to death using jail linens.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) requires increased supervision of inmates who are potentially suicidal. The following is information on the requirement for Texas county jails.

RULE §275.1      Regular Observation by Jailers

• All county jails must have the appropriate number of jailers at the facility every hour of each day. Supervision of inmates includes face-to-face observations every 60 minutes in the general population and every 30 minutes for potentially suicidal or otherwise high-risk prisoners. The jails all had a recent deadline of August 31, 2020, in which to install cameras or electronic sensors that are able to record the required personal observations of prisoners in cells or groups of cells that house high-risk prisoners.

During jail inspections, which occur annually in county facilities, TCJS inspectors often find that inmate supervision is not occurring as required. The following rule is related to inmates in restraints.

RULE §273.6 – Restraints

Every 15 minutes, inmates being held in restraints must be observed face-to-face to ensure that blood circulation has not been cut off from extremities.

• In a Jail Inspection Report dated June 7, 2021, it is indicated that jailers at a Texas county jail failed to conduct the required quarter-hour observations in April 2021 on two separate occasions.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this 3-part series.

Posts on this website are provided as potentially helpful resources for inmates who are or have been incarcerated in a county jail in Texas. There is no intention to suggest that people or entities have engaged in improprieties.

–Guest Contributor

Eddie Garcia died in June 2021 at the age of 29 years old while incarcerated in Nueces County Jail in Corpus Christi, Texas. Mr. Garcia used a bed linen around his neck to strangle himself to death.

Suicide prevention is addressed in the minimum jail standards for county jails set out by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Jail staff members must be trained to prevent suicide from occurring, per the following rule in the Texas Administrative Code along with another that addresses inmate supervision.

RULE §273.5 – Mental Disabilities/Suicide Prevention Plan

• Jailers must be trained on how to recognize, supervise, document, and handle potentially suicidal inmates. For employees involved in intake screening, supplemental training is required. Placement of inmates in Texas county jails is a result of assessments made during intake. The area of county jails where potentially suicidal inmates is housed is supervised much more closely than areas with a general population of inmates.

There are key times to watch an inmate for the purpose of observing signs and symptoms of suicidal thoughts, according to learning material from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. The following are some examples:

• During arrest and the booking process
• The first 24 hours of jail confinement
• The inmate is waiting for results of a high-profile trial
• Release is impending
• On holidays
• When staff supervision is decreased

Learn more in Part 1 and one more installment to come in this series.

The goal in providing posts on this website is to help Texas county jail prisoners. This applies whether they are now or were formerly incarcerated. It is not intended on this site to infer that persons or entities have engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor

The Brownsville Police Department, in Brownsville, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Veronica Carmona Peranez. Ms. Peranez was only 32 years old at the time of her death. We provide in this post information obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The report indicates that Ms. Peranez made suicidal statements and exhibited mental health problems. The report also indicates that Ms. Peranez, however, did not receive any medical treatment and, likely contrary to reasonable inferences that can be determined from the summary below, did not supposedly exhibit any medical problems.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On June 17, 2021, at approximately 5:44pm, the Brownsville Police Department began receiving multiple calls for service in reference to a reckless driver. The callers described the vehicle the reckless driver was operating as a white Chevy Suburban. The initial calls placed the Suburban in the area of FM 802 Rd. and Coffee Port Rd. near the CVS pharmacy. Some of the callers described the reckless behavior as the vehicle driving against traffic, the driver side door being open while the vehicle was in motion, the vehicle moving at a high rate of speed and the vehicle swerving nearly crashing into vehicles multiple times. As this took place, multiple callers also advised they could see children inside the Suburban. At approximately 5:52pm, a caller advised that a child had exited the Suburban. Shortly thereafter, the Suburban crashed into a fixed object (traffic sign) off Coffee Port Rd. near the H-E-B parking lot located at 2155 Paredes Line Rd. The Suburban then made a wide turn into the H-E-B parking lot, went over the curb, and nearly struck multiple vehicles. After driving recklessly around multiple rows in the parking lot, the Suburban crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle. After striking the unattended vehicle, the Suburban proceeded to go around the parking area one more time, nearly striking multiple pedestrians, before exiting the parking area on Paredes Line Rd. As per the callers, they could still see another child inside the vehicle. The Suburban now traveled south on Paredes Line Rd. towards Price Rd. Once at the intersection of Paredes Line Rd. and Price Rd., the Suburban turned eastbound on Price Rd. towards Homer Hanna High School. The Suburban then made a wide right turn into the BISD Police Department parking lot (2477 E. Price Rd.), went over the curb, and nearly struck multiple parked vehicles. The Suburban drove around the parking lot erratically at least twice, before exiting the parking lot area and making a right hand turn onto Price Rd. nearly striking a motorcyclist. The Suburban now traveled westbound on Price Rd. towards Paredes Line Rd. Once at the intersection of CDR Reports :: Page 3 of 3 Price Rd. and Paredes Line Rd., the Suburban turned left onto Paredes Line Rd. and traveled southbound towards Boca Chica Blvd. At the intersection of Paredes Line Rd. and Boca Chica Blvd. (on Paredes Line Rd. itself), the Suburban crashed into a vehicle stopped at the traffic light. After striking the vehicle, the second child passenger exited the vehicle at approximately 6:01pm. The Suburban then continued to travel southbound on Paredes Line Rd. and approached the intersection with of N. Frontage Rd. Once there, the Suburban made a right turn and proceeded to enter the expressway and traveled northbound. At approximately 6:05pm the Suburban exited the expressway on the Price Rd. off ramp and crashed into multiple fixed objects to include the S&F apartment complex (420 N. Frontage Rd.). At approximately 6:07pm, police arrived on scene. Officer Jesus Olvera and Officer Pedro Dominguez made contact with the driver as she stood on N. Frontage Rd. The driver was later identified as Veronica Carmona Peranez. As the officers attempted to arrest Mrs. Peranez, she resisted arrest by temporarily refusing to put her hands behind her back. After securing handcuffs on Mrs. Peranez, she began to actively resist again and attempted to get away from Officer Olvera’s grasp by swinging her arms and pulling away. At that point Mrs. Peranez was escorted to the ground. Officer Dominguez then assisted Officer Olvera in getting Mrs. Peranez back on her feet and escorting her near the backseat of his police vehicle. Once there, Mrs. Peranez temporarily sat down on the edge of the seat and then resisted transport by getting up on her feet and attempting to leave. Officer Dominguez was able to grab Mrs. Peranez by the arms and struggled in placing Mrs. Peranez back inside the backseat. While Mrs. Peranez continued to show resistance, both officers were eventually able to place her inside the backseat. At approximately 6:09pm, Mrs. Peranez was transported to city jail (600 E. Jackson St.). Mrs. Peranez actively resisted transport prior to arriving at city jail by banging her head at least twice on the police car partition panel. At approximately 6:13pm, Officer Olvera arrived at city jail with Mrs. Peranez. At approximately 6:20pm, Mrs. Peranez was placed inside a single padded cell. She was subsequently booked in for multiple criminal charges. At approximately 10:02pm, Mrs. Peranez was found unresponsive inside her single padded cell. Brownsville Fire/EMS was requested and they responded to the scene. At approximately 10:17pm, Mrs. Peranez was declared deceased at the city jail. The Texas Rangers were notified of the custodial death and are investigating the case. An autopsy report is still pending to determine the medical cause of death.”

It is surprising, when reading the summary, that officers apparently did not obtain any medical treatment for Ms. Peranez after her arrest but before she was found unresponsive hours later. If in fact officers did obtain medical treatment for Ms. Peranez, one would assume it would have been indicated in the summary portion of the report.

City jails are not appropriate to house prisoners for a lengthy period of time. Generally, Texas city jails do not have licensed jailers. Regardless, the summary portion of the report does not indicate that, from 6:20 p.m. until 10:02 p.m. on the date Ms. Peranez was incarcerated, that there were any cell checks. If there were any such cell checks, one would assume that they would have been listed in the summary portion of the report.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards governs county jails in Texas. It requires cell checks at least hourly for a typical inmate. It also requires cell checks at least every 30 minutes for persons who exhibit bizarre behavior and/or are suicidal.

The 14^th Amendment to the United States Constitution provides rights to pre-trial detainees, such as Ms. Peranez, to receive reasonable medical care and mental health care. It also provides that such persons are to be protected from themselves and others while they are in custody. If a jail, jailers, and/or police officers violate such a person’s rights, and the person dies as a result, there might be claims available to certain surviving family members. Such claims are typically filed in federal court. Once again, we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against any individuals related to Ms. Peranez’s death. We are simply providing information regarding what occurred, and claims that are potentially available in certain situations.

Eddie Garcia was 29 years old when he was discovered with linen wrapped tightly around his neck at Nueces County Jail in Corpus Christi, Texas. A pulse wasn’t found on Mr. Garcia, but life-saving measures persisted until he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Suicide is a terrible fact of life in lockup facilities, and a study a few years back showed that hanging is the method of suicide most inmates use. Inmates fashion a ligature using items such as clothing, bed linens, telephone cords, electrical cords, laundry bags, and trash bags.

The death of Sandra Bland in Waller County Jail, Texas, is one that created great controversy, and a new law named after Ms. Bland was eventually added in Texas for the purpose of trying to reduce the number of jail suicides. Reportedly, Ms. Bland committed suicide by hanging, and she used a trash bag as a ligature. This raised questions and a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has made it known that there are no trash cans in the state’s prison cells. The practice in county jails was not specified, however.

According to the operating standards for county jails in Texas, which are determined by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), all jail staff members must receive training that could help with suicide prevention. Learn more in the next segment of this ongoing series.

This website’s posts are provided with the goal of serving as a helpful resource for inmates in Texas county jails, whether they are now or formerly incarcerated. There is no intention to make an implication of wrongdoing on the part of people or entities.

–Guest Contributor

Antonio Villa Mendoza committed suicide on February 1, 2020. He was alone in a cell at Ector County Jail in Odessa, Texas, and had been provided with a uniform to wear. He used the uniform to strangle himself.

According to a Texas county sheriff, the jail there has difficulty maintaining trained staff. What often happens is that larger jails from other counties offer more advancement and opportunity, and they hire their staff members. The guards left on staff end up working harder than ever for little pay. The sheriff also gave the perspective that the guards are locked up daily the same as the inmates—not something they see themselves doing for decades.

Staff shortages are often cited as a primary problem leading to non-compliance in county jails in the state.

Inmates can be endangered if supervision isn’t provided as required. For instance, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) allows restraints to be used to prevent inmates from causing harm to themselves or others. When in restraints, face-to-face observations are required every 15 minutes, during which time they are to ensure that blood circulation to extremities has not been cut off.

The following is an example of a June 2021 Texas Jail Inspection Report reflecting a violation of minimum jail standards as regards inmate supervision of inmates in restraints.

RULE §273.6 – Restraints

A TCJS inspector made the following note regarding the 30-minute requirement for inmate supervision:

• On two separate occasions in April 2021, the quarter-hour observations on inmates placed in restraints were not conducted.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

This website provides posts for the purpose of helping Texas county jail inmates, whether currently or previously incarcerated. It is not intended on this site to infer that persons or entities engaged in wrongs.

–Guest Contributor