TX - Sandra Bland, 28, found dead in jail cell, Waller County, 13 July 2015 #3

[EllieBee]

If I recall, Sandra was quite tall... 5'10" or 5'11".0

I also am quite tall.

What are you implying by noting her height? Are tall women more likely to suicide?

Curious as to your research.

 

[Deleted member 39678]

I guess jails could put every inmate in straight jackets and padded cells. That would prevent all suicides.

It would probably violate their civil rights though.

JMO.

 

[K_Z]

I see your point but disagree. The jails and prisons have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their inmates. As per handbooks issued as a standard part of training.

This is a very real, and very recognized issue with incarcerated persons, hence the instructional materials on the subject.

Thank you. I agree that the risk is very real. The question is how to identify the people who "need" this level of supervision and care.

So, then the only "solution" left is to treat EVERY arrested person "as if" they are imminently suicidal, right? And that could lead to a very large pile of civil rights violation claims.

As a health care professional (admittedly mental health is not my area of expertise), I just don't think it's possible to prevent ALL suicides in custody. I don't think it's possible to design and implement a tool that will reliably identify each and every arrested person who may commit an impulsive suicide. So all I'm left with is to treat EVERY person arrested as if they will attempt. I just don't think that is sustainable, justifiable, or legal. I'm not at all saying we shouldn't try-- but I think it's folly to assume that jail personnel (at their level of education and training) can identify every person that should be referred to mental health. The default becomes that every person has to go thru the suicide precautions routine-- which isn't feasible, IMO.

 

[BritsKate]

I can have compassion for Sandra and her emotions that produced an impulsive suicide, even as I am skeptical that the jail and their staff could have done anything to prevent her suicide.

We cannot, and should not, treat EVERY person that is arrested as if they are imminently suicidal. The plastic garbage bag is a red herring-- SB was not under suicide precautions. The sad fact is that people can and DO hang or asphyxiate themselves to death using only their shirt collar or a sleeve opening on their jail scrubs or jumpsuit. Jailed people have hung/ asphyxiated themselves to death using the SHORT (less than 24") metal wrapped cord on the collect call pay phone in their cells.

Sandra was not under suicide precautions-- she was not in a suicide-secure environment, wearing a "taco suit". At this point in time, I am not convinced the jail did anything wrong with the level of screening, security, and supervision she was under. Jail staff are NOT mental health professionals, by a long shot. They cannot, and should not, be held to the same standards that licensed mental health professionals, and health care facilities, are held to. Sadly, Sandra committed a very impulsive suicide, and it will be extremely difficult to legally prove that the jail did anything "wrong" in the level of security she was held, IMO.

http://www.preventsuicide.com/

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/06/safety_smocks_standard_wear_fo.html

RBBM

But she probably should have been and that's where it all falls apart. I doubt people are expecting jailers to be the equivalent of licensed mental health practitioners. I know I'm not and I'm married to a now retired psychiatric nurse myself. However, there are bare minimum precautions that could be taken - and in some instances, are mandated - that weren't in this case. A magistrate should have been informed of Sandra's affirmative answers to depression and a past suicide attempt, so a mental health evaluation could have been ordered, as an example. That didn't happen. The jail was supposed to have more consistent observation over inmates as a result of the 2012 suicide. That didn't happen. The jail was also supposed to provide officials with proof that jail staff had undergone a 2 hour mental health training seminar as a result of the 2012 suicide. That didn't happen either.

And again this month after Bland’s death, the facility was cited for failing to observe the inmate regularly. The jail was also cited for failing to show that jail staff had received required training on handling inmates who are mentally disabled and potentially suicidal.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/loca...ied-has-history-of-state-rules-violations.ece

An inspection in the wake of Bland’s death cited a failure to check on inmates in person at least once an hour and a lack of mental health training. The jail has 30 days to come up with a plan to rectify the problems. Wood’s agency has also spoken to officials about the failure to follow mental health assessment guidelines after she indicated on a screening questionnaire that she had previously attempted suicide and felt depressed.

That should have prompted jailers to contact a magistrate for a decision on whether to have her assessed by a mental health professional. But she was not even placed on suicide watch, which would have seen her checked more frequently and probably put in a cell covered by a camera.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/29/sandra-bland-police-custody-deaths

From your own link:

When evaluating a prisoner during booking, officials consider the fears associated with going to jail as well as other issues such as health history, loss of a family member, family problems or loss of a job, said Cleveland City Jail administrator Joseph Stottner.

Lt. John Hiscox of the Geauga County Sheriff's Office, said all prisoners are evaluated during booking through a questionnaire to determine if they could be a threat to themselves. Mental health officials are then alerted. Prisoners determined to have suicidal issues remain under special watch until they are cleared by a doctor, he said.

This is standard in area jails and prisons.

"No matter the circumstances," Summit's James said, "we're charged with the health and welfare of these prisoners."

Waller County Jail conducted an assessment that clearly showed red flags and erroneously did nothing with that information, imo.

 

[kimlynn]

For starters you might want to leave out the plastic bags in the cell. I get the sense that some shrug and think you win some and lose some.
At the very least do more frequent checks on all inmates. IMO

 

[BritsKate]

For starters you might want to leave out the plastic bags in the cell. I get the sense that some shrug and think you win some and lose some.
At the very least do more frequent checks on all inmates. IMO

The garbage bag gets me too. Yes, I totally get if someone is determined to kill themselves, they will ultimately use any tool at their disposal - it just seems such a flagrant violation though. It defies common sense - you really don't need mental health training to realize that could be used as a weapon, on themselves as much as on another inmate or guard. JMO

According to a jail standards manual published by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care last year, inmates who have a "recent prior history of self-destructive behavior" should be placed on suicide precautions. Based on her intake form, Bland should have quickly been screened by a mental health professional, said Jeffrey Schwartz, a national corrections consultant. Until then, she should have been closely observed. The mental health professional would then make a decision about whether further precautions were needed.

At a minimum, experts say, she should not have been placed in a cell with a garbage bag or protuberances that were easy to hang oneself from. As the blog Black Girl Dangerous noted, "Whether Sandra Bland committed suicide or not, we can indict a system. We must hold nuanced discussions that address the implications of state violence while removing the stigma around mental health and suicide."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sandra-bland-suicide-watch_55b11b1be4b08f57d5d3e05d

Of larger concern, said Michele Deitch, a University of Texas professor who is an expert in prison and jail conditions, are previous serious lapses in security and oversight, particularly in the 2012 suicide.

“That’s hugely troubling, this issue about not following through on security checks on face-to-face observations,” Deitch said. “They were cited for that in the previous case and don’t appear to have done anything to ensure that staff are, in fact, doing that.”

Also disturbing, she said, was that in both cases, the inmates had access to materials that allowed them to commit suicide.

“In the Sandra Bland case, the fact that she had access to a plastic garbage bag is mind-boggling to me,” Deitch said.

Apparent discrepancies in the jail’s intake forms are also alarming, she said. Before booking, an inmate must complete forms that help officials assess their mental health and determine whether additional monitoring is necessary.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/loca...ied-has-history-of-state-rules-violations.ece

According to authorities, Bland hung herself using a plastic bag. Steve J. Martin, a national corrections consultant, said it was “remarkably stupid” for the jail to leave plastic bags in cells, given the potential for them to be used to cause harm. (The jail said that the bags have since been removed.) Martin also called the intercom system jailers reportedly used to check on Bland “absurd.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sandra-bland-jail-death_55ae9f12e4b07af29d569875

 

[K_Z]

A couple of things I wanted to point out about suicide watch, and the way that results of institutional inspections are reported.

First, individual items within facility inspections. When a facility, such as a hospital or jail, undergoes inspections, there is a set list of criteria. Each type of inspection also has criteria as to what constitutes "passing", or "failing" specific items. Sometimes, but not always, partial compliance can be noted.

Let's say there is an item that says 95% of a population of caregivers have to be currently trained in CPR. If you have 100 people in that population, 95 must be current to "pass" the criteria. If you have only 10 people in that population, then only one person not current (1 = 10%) means you "fail" that item on the inspection.

Many inspectors don't care "why" a threshold wasn't met-- maybe the one person (in the 10% example) who isn't current was out on maternity leave, or was a new hire, or was out sick on the one day CPR refresher was offered, and is rescheduled elsewhere, but the class date hasn't come around yet. It seldom matters to the inspectors-- either the threshold is met, or it isn't, in most cases. And if it isn't, the institution "fails" in that area, and has to submit an after-action report about how they plan to reach compliance threshold for each item they "fail." (And media who aren't in the least bit curious about "why" a criteria wasn't met, or have an agenda to bash a facility, or want attention-grabbing headlines, will gleefully splash headlines that a given facility "failed X number" of inspection criteria.)

So I have a high index of suspicion when I read that the jail wasn't in compliance with things that keep being quoted, such as "the two hours of training" for all personnel. For all we know, the jail WAS compliant at a high rate, and had a few exceptions like the ones I just outlined, that caused them to "fail" that criteria. I think it's beyond believability that any jail or institutional facility nowadays would be substantially out of compliance with things like suicide and mental health training. That is a major part of what they do. People who work in jails, prisons, and health care facilities have an ongoing, never ending roster of certifications and training they must continually accomplish. No facility is 100% all the time-- for reasons I just outlined (plus many more justifiable reasons.)

The jail cannot, and will not, go into such detail about their inspection criteria in media articles-- just as hospitals never are able to counter the incorrect or misinformation aggrieved people give out in interviews. The presentation of the truth is lopsided when only one side is allowed to speak freely, and the media only presents that side.

The other thing I wanted to comment on is suicide watch.

Believe it or not, suicide watch is no picnic for either the patients/ inmates, or the caregivers (jailers or health care workers). Suicide watch has been used by unscrupulous jailers as a form or punishment and humiliation against an inmate. Suicide watch has to be "renewed" every 24 hours by a mental health professional. And believe it or not, the highest incidence of suicide in jails and prisons is in the hours and early days AFTER suicide watch is discontinued.

If Sandra Bland had been immediately whisked away into suicide watch upon her intake at the jail, it's more than possible she or her relatives would have been screaming to the rooftops that she was being discriminated against and punished by being placed under suicide watch "for a mere traffic stop", put in a paper gown or a taco suit, segregated, and forced to conform to suicide watch conditions. She would likely not have been given a bail amount if she was on suicide watch, but kept in custody for her own safety. She would not have been allowed to make all the extra phone calls she did. I think she and/ or her family would have filed discrimination/ civil rights lawsuits even if she was put into suicide watch.

I know it's tempting to think "if only" Sandra Bland had been placed under suicide watch, she would be alive and well today. Maybe she would, but there is a greater chance, IMO, that she could have committed suicide anyway. I do not think the behaviors she demonstrated on intake in the videos, and the questions she answered about past mental health history, were compelling enough to immediately implement suicide watch for her. JMO.

 

[bwt42]

I can't believe people are talking about Sandra killing herself. She was 28 years old. So young.

I suppose people are happy Robin Williams killed himelf, He was a substance abuser as well.

I am very sad people have no compassion for a 28 year old woman

I am not happy that SB died. I did not have much feeling one way or another. If that makes me morally inferior, so be it. I'm following the case of 2 yr old Lonzie Barton who was killed by his moms drug dealer boyfriend. So much pain caused by what one human does to another. I guess I just don't invest my feelings in those that choose to take their own lives.

 

[kareylou]

I am not happy that SB died. I did not have much feeling one way or another. If that makes me morally inferior, so be it. I'm following the case of 2 yr old Lonzie Barton who was killed by his moms drug dealer boyfriend. So much pain caused by what one human does to another. I guess I just don't invest my feelings in those that choose to take their own lives.

Empathy and compassion are actually renewable resources.

 

[Elley Mae]

I am not happy that SB died. I did not have much feeling one way or another. If that makes me morally inferior, so be it. I'm following the case of 2 yr old Lonzie Barton who was killed by his moms drug dealer boyfriend. So much pain caused by what one human does to another. I guess I just don't invest my feelings in those that choose to take their own lives.

bbm, Thank you, I didn't/don't want her, Sandra to be dead either, and I can not fault anyone for taking their own life. People that take their own life know better then anyone how they feel about their life and what path they need to take to fulfill their quest for happiness as they see it. I will not find fault when someone chooses to end their life. That is their decision and not for me to judge.jmo

 

[CoolJ]

A couple of things I wanted to point out about suicide watch, and the way that results of institutional inspections are reported.

First, individual items within facility inspections. When a facility, such as a hospital or jail, undergoes inspections, there is a set list of criteria. Each type of inspection also has criteria as to what constitutes "passing", or "failing" specific items. Sometimes, but not always, partial compliance can be noted.

Let's say there is an item that says 95% of a population of caregivers have to be currently trained in CPR. If you have 100 people in that population, 95 must be current to "pass" the criteria. If you have only 10 people in that population, then only one person not current (1 = 10%) means you "fail" that item on the inspection.

Many inspectors don't care "why" a threshold wasn't met-- maybe the one person (in the 10% example) who isn't current was out on maternity leave, or was a new hire, or was out sick on the one day CPR refresher was offered, and is rescheduled elsewhere, but the class date hasn't come around yet. It seldom matters to the inspectors-- either the threshold is met, or it isn't, in most cases. And if it isn't, the institution "fails" in that area, and has to submit an after-action report about how they plan to reach compliance threshold for each item they "fail." (And media who aren't in the least bit curious about "why" a criteria wasn't met, or have an agenda to bash a facility, or want attention-grabbing headlines, will gleefully splash headlines that a given facility "failed X number" of inspection criteria.)

So I have a high index of suspicion when I read that the jail wasn't in compliance with things that keep being quoted, such as "the two hours of training" for all personnel. For all we know, the jail WAS compliant at a high rate, and had a few exceptions like the ones I just outlined, that caused them to "fail" that criteria. I think it's beyond believability that any jail or institutional facility nowadays would be substantially out of compliance with things like suicide and mental health training. That is a major part of what they do. People who work in jails, prisons, and health care facilities have an ongoing, never ending roster of certifications and training they must continually accomplish. No facility is 100% all the time-- for reasons I just outlined (plus many more justifiable reasons.)

The jail cannot, and will not, go into such detail about their inspection criteria in media articles-- just as hospitals never are able to counter the incorrect or misinformation aggrieved people give out in interviews. The presentation of the truth is lopsided when only one side is allowed to speak freely, and the media only presents that side.

The other thing I wanted to comment on is suicide watch.

Believe it or not, suicide watch is no picnic for either the patients/ inmates, or the caregivers (jailers or health care workers). Suicide watch has been used by unscrupulous jailers as a form or punishment and humiliation against an inmate. Suicide watch has to be "renewed" every 24 hours by a mental health professional. And believe it or not, the highest incidence of suicide in jails and prisons is in the hours and early days AFTER suicide watch is discontinued.

If Sandra Bland had been immediately whisked away into suicide watch upon her intake at the jail, it's more than possible she or her relatives would have been screaming to the rooftops that she was being discriminated against and punished by being placed under suicide watch "for a mere traffic stop", put in a paper gown or a taco suit, segregated, and forced to conform to suicide watch conditions. She would likely not have been given a bail amount if she was on suicide watch, but kept in custody for her own safety. She would not have been allowed to make all the extra phone calls she did. I think she and/ or her family would have filed discrimination/ civil rights lawsuits even if she was put into suicide watch.

I know it's tempting to think "if only" Sandra Bland had been placed under suicide watch, she would be alive and well today. Maybe she would, but there is a greater chance, IMO, that she could have committed suicide anyway. I do not think the behaviors she demonstrated on intake in the videos, and the questions she answered about past mental health history, were compelling enough to immediately implement suicide watch for her. JMO.

As a Health Care Professional I am sure you will agree that one doesn't need to be an expert in Mental Health to identify red flags such as lacerations on the arms still in the healing phase and positive answers to questions about previous suicide attempts.

But let's forget about suicide watch and talk about straight up liability. Whether she should or shouldn't have been placed under suicide watch is only one aspect of liability. What about the fact she was placed in a "suicide cell"? As I said before, that large industrial garbage bag, with a perfect railing to tie it to and the perfect size trash can to stand on and kick away....... Why on earth would those things be in a jail cell of all places?

 

[arkansasmimi]

As a Health Care Professional I am sure you will agree that one doesn't need to be an expert in Mental Health to identify red flags such as lacerations on the arms still in the healing phase and positive answers to questions about previous suicide attempts.

But let's forget about suicide watch and talk about straight up liability. Whether she should or shouldn't have been placed under suicide watch is only one aspect of liability. What about the fact she was placed in a "suicide cell"? As I said before, that large industrial garbage bag, with a perfect railing to tie it to and the perfect size trash can to stand on and kick away....... Why on earth would those things be in a jail cell of all places?

Respectfully BBM, I agree on the whole why what the trash bag in the cell. It could have been used as a weapon upon a guard or another individual. I dont understand that part. The BBM, I guess I have missed it where she was allegedly in a "suicide cell"? I have read that due to the charges of assault is why she was not in a cell with other inmates. If you are saying her cell was one used for suicide watch, can ya provide a link. Thanks.

 

[CoolJ]

Respectfully BBM, I agree on the whole why what the trash bag in the cell. It could have been used as a weapon upon a guard or another individual. I dont understand that part. The BBM, I guess I have missed it where she was allegedly in a "suicide cell"? I have read that due to the charges of assault is why she was not in a cell with other inmates. If you are saying her cell was one used for suicide watch, can ya provide a link. Thanks.

Sorry you misunderstood. What I meant by "suicide cell" was that she was placed in a cell that had the perfect conditions and tools for one to hang themselves.

Considering the fact they took her belt away, and if she had shoe laces, they would have been taken as well... Doesn't seem to make much sense does it?

 

[katydid23]

Everyone is shocked that there was a garbage bag inside the trash can. Can you imagine how filthy and nasty those cans would become if there was no trash bag lnside of them? It would become a Hazmat situation in no time. It is just basic, practical common sense that a jail cell trash can would need a trash bag each time it was emptied, to protect the inmates from germs/disease etc.

Now with 20/20 hindsight we can be outraged that they would ever do such a thing. But if they hadn't, they would have probably been written up for not doing so by the health department.

 

[CoolJ]

Everyone is shocked that there was a garbage bag inside the trash can. Can you imagine how filthy and nasty those cans would become if there was no trash bag lnside of them? It would become a Hazmat situation in no time. It is just basic, practical common sense that a jail cell trash can would need a trash bag each time it was emptied, to protect the inmates from germs/disease etc.

Now with 20/20 hindsight we can be outraged that they would ever do such a thing. But if they hadn't, they would have probably been written up for not doing so by the health department.

Then why such a large trash can and bag?
How many commissary candy bar wrappers do you think it would take to fill up that bag?

 

[human]

Everyone is shocked that there was a garbage bag inside the trash can. Can you imagine how filthy and nasty those cans would become if there was no trash bag lnside of them? It would become a Hazmat situation in no time. It is just basic, practical common sense that a jail cell trash can would need a trash bag each time it was emptied, to protect the inmates from germs/disease etc.

Now with 20/20 hindsight we can be outraged that they would ever do such a thing. But if they hadn't, they would have probably been written up for not doing so by the health department.

What exactly do inmates have that goes in the trash?

 

[katydid23]

What exactly do inmates have that goes in the trash?

You think they don't have anything to throw away? Do they clip their nails? blow their noses? Unwrap a sandwich? Drink a carton of milk?

why would they be given a trash can if they didnt need one?

 

[Brightbird]

Everyone is shocked that there was a garbage bag inside the trash can. Can you imagine how filthy and nasty those cans would become if there was no trash bag lnside of them? It would become a Hazmat situation in no time. It is just basic, practical common sense that a jail cell trash can would need a trash bag each time it was emptied, to protect the inmates from germs/disease etc.

Now with 20/20 hindsight we can be outraged that they would ever do such a thing. But if they hadn't, they would have probably been written up for not doing so by the health department.

Instead of replacing the garbage bag, they could replace the can with a clean one each day, take the dirty one, empty it and disinfect it.

 

[katydid23]

Instead of replacing the garbage bag, they could replace the can with a clean one each day, take the dirty one, empty it and disinfect it.

So they are going to clean and disinfect hundreds of garbage cans every day? Instead of just using a trash liner?

 

[human]

You think they don't have anything to throw away? Do they clip their nails? blow their noses? Unwrap a sandwich? Drink a carton of milk?

why would they be given a trash can if they didnt need one?

If they blow their nose, they can flush it.

I doubt if they are allowed fingernail clippers.

It would seem like food would be served via tray or do they have a lunchroom? I doubt if they can have food any old time. I would think the trays would be picked up with the refuse on the tray. Or if they eat in a lunchroom, then the food would remain there.

I cannot see the need for a garbage can