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Suicide at Texas Jail Results in Firings, Lawsuit, Investigation and Legislation
by Matt Clarke
On July 10, 2015, Sandra Bland was stopped while driving in Prairie View, Texas. The 28-year-old Illinois native was in the process of moving to Waller County when she was stopped by Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia, allegedly for changing lanes without signaling.
A …
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More from this issue:
- Banks Profit from Loans to Private Prison Industry, by Derek Gilna
- Florida: Trio of Con Artists Sentenced in Rule 35 Sentence Reduction Scam
- Study Finds Extreme Lack of Gender, Racial/Ethnic Diversity in State Courts, by Derek Gilna
- Seventh Circuit Reinstates Indiana Prisoner’s Lawsuit, Holds Prison Officials Prevented Him from Pursuing Grievances, by Lonnie Burton
- Denial of FOIA Request for Complaints Against Immigration Judges Reversed, by Christopher Zoukis
- Fourth Circuit Rules Lawsuit over Inadequate Prison Food Not Barred by Res Judicata, by Lonnie Burton
- Ethics Rule Requiring Post-conviction Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence Adopted in North Carolina
- Use of Electronic Monitoring Skyrockets, by Christopher Zoukis
- Nebraska Supreme Court Holds Reporter Can’t See Executed Prisoner’s Drawings, by Christopher Zoukis
- Seventh Circuit: Two-month Delay in Ordering Biopsy Not Deliberate Indifference, by Christopher Zoukis
- Tennessee Sheriff Settles Lawsuit over Religious Proselytization
- Unlikely Criminal Justice Reform: How New York City Reduced Arrests and Slashed Prisoner Populations, by Lonnie Burton
- United Kingdom: 80% of Prisoners Aspire to be Entrepreneurs, Opportunity Fund Helps
- Man Smuggles Poison into Jail, Commits Suicide Following Arrest for Failure to Pay Ambulance Bill
- Fourth Circuit Clarifies Rights of Pretrial Detainees; $35,000 Settlement on Remand, by Christopher Zoukis
- Consensual Use of Another Prisoner’s Telephone PIN is Not Oregon ID Theft
- Seventh Circuit: Medical Deliberate Indifference Case Remanded, Loses at Trial, by Christopher Zoukis
- Dismissal of Personal Injury Claim for Damages from Malfunctioning Jail Gate Upheld
- Private Prison Firms Spend Billions of Taxpayer Dollars Acquiring Other Companies, by Christopher Zoukis
- Ohio Prisoners Build Computers from Spare Parts, Conceal them in Ceiling
- Illinois: Prison Guards Sued for Fatally Beating, Suffocating Prisoner, by Lonnie Burton
- Fourth Circuit Reverses Judgment in Favor of BOP in Deliberate Indifference Case, by Christopher Zoukis
- Tennessee Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Sexual Misconduct, Excessive Force Charges
- Alaska Prisoner Deaths Criticized in Report, Author Becomes New DOC Commissioner
- Report: “Culture of Racism,” Frequent Use of Force at Northern California Prison, by Lonnie Burton
- New York: Police Department Ordered to Produce Police Manual in Parolee Shooting Case, by Christopher Zoukis
- California Court Vacates Prison Infraction Charging Prisoner for Refusing Meals, by Lonnie Burton
- Disability Rights Group Slams Mental Health Program at New York State Prison, by Derek Gilna
- Nevada DOC Moves to End Discrimination against HIV-positive and Disabled Prisoners, by Matthew Clarke
- California Lifers with Possibility of Parole Entitled to SOL Tolling
- Policing for Profit: Law Enforcement Agencies Abuse Civil Asset Forfeiture, by Matthew Clarke
- South Carolina Appellate Court Upholds Prisoner’s Wage Suit, by Derek Gilna
- Widespread Abuses at Santa Clara County Jail; Three Guards Convicted of Murder, by Lonnie Burton
- Illinois Prisoner Fatally Shot after Standoff; Hostages File Lawsuit
- $6,500 Settlement after Ninth Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment in Retaliatory Ad-seg Case, by Lonnie Burton
- Incarceration Numbers Falling, Especially for Blacks, by Christopher Zoukis
- Ninth Circuit Reverses Revocation of Supervised Release Over Blog Post, by Christopher Zoukis
- Ninth Circuit: Warden Who Failed to Protect Female Prisoners from Sexual Assault Not Immune from Suit, by Christopher Zoukis
- Seventh Circuit Reverses Infraction for Failure to Allow Prisoner to Present Evidence, by Lonnie Burton
- California Appellate Court Reinstates Prisoner’s Mandamus Action Against CDCR, by Derek Gilna
- First Circuit Allows City to Include Prisoners in Census Counts, by Derek Gilna
- Eighth Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity on Inadequate Nutrition Claim
- PLN Obtains $50,000 Settlement in Tennessee Jail Censorship Suit
- Texas Prisoner was Emaciated and Sick when Killed by Cellmate
- Supreme Court Lets Prosecutors Off the Hook for Withholding Evidence, by Derek Gilna
- Arkansas Prisoner’s Illegal Sentence Remanded Despite Filing Wrong Challenge
- Suicide at Texas Jail Results in Firings, Lawsuit, Investigation and Legislation, by Matthew Clarke
- Tenth Circuit Remands Two-year Sentence for Federal Probation Violation, by Christopher Zoukis
- Washington State Mental Health Agency Held in Contempt; $14 Million in Fines Levied, by Derek Gilna
- One of Tennessee’s Most Pristine Rivers Contaminated with Prison Sewage, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- Forced to Endure Extreme Heat, Prisoners are Casualties of Texas’ Climate Denial, Documents Show, by Candice Bernd
- Ohio Closes Prison Farms, Auctions Equipment, Plans to Sell Farmland, by Matthew Clarke
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Breaking News: U.S. Attorney General Reinstates Federal Asset Forfeiture Sharing, with Conditions, by Derek Gilna
- News in Brief
More from Matthew Clarke:
- Idaho Supreme Court Holds Indigent Parents Have Constitutional Right to Counsel at Public Expense, July 1, 2026
- Free Phone Calls Saved Prisoners and Their Families More than $600 Million, Report Finds, July 1, 2026
- California Appeals Court Holds Defendant Cannot Be Penalized for Failing to Appear at Sentencing When He Was Being Held in Another County’s Jail on Preexisting Charges, July 1, 2026
- SCOTUS Reverses Mississippi Capital Conviction, July 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit Upholds $33 Million Jury Award in Suit Over Detainee’s Horrific Death in Oklahoma County Jail, July 1, 2026
- Texas Prison System Bans Prisoners from Receiving Hardback and Used Books, July 1, 2026
- CoreCivic’s Long Record of Abuse and Neglect in Tennessee, June 1, 2026
- Dallas County Jail Deaths, Many Preventable, Dramatically Increase Under Sheriff Marian Brown, June 1, 2026
- Ninth Circuit Lets Stand Ruling That Federal Prisoners’ Gradually Accumulated Savings Are Subject to Restitution Turnover, June 1, 2026
- Seventh Circuit Reinstates Illinois Prisoner’s Lawsuit Against Prison Dental Staff, June 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- New Jersey Lawmakers Pass “Female Incarcerated Person’s Rights Protection Act”, July 1, 2026. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Prison Rape Elimination Act, Staff Training, Mothers in Prison.
- After Spoliation Sanction, CoreCivic Settles Suit Over Suicide in New Mexico ICE Lockup, July 1, 2026. Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Discovery, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides.
- Tennessee Calls Off Execution After Botched Lethal Injection, July 1, 2026. Medical Misconduct, Pain, Staff Training, Cruel and Unusual Punishment, Lethal Injection Method of Execution.
- San Diego Guard Who Fatally Shot Fleeing Detainee Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison, July 1, 2026. Police Misconduct, Shootings, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), Excessive Force (Police), Wrongful Use of Force.
- Jury Awards Over $24.4 Million to Kentucky Prisoner Exonerated After 22 Years, Bringing Total Payout for Him and Co-Defendant to Almost $45 Million, June 1, 2026. Police Misconduct, Wrongful Conviction, Monell Liability, Fabrication of Evidence, Failure to Disclose.
- Study Shows That Suicide Intervention During and After Incarceration Reduces Suicide Attempts by 55%, June 1, 2026. Statistics/Trends, Suicides, Health care.
- Over $2 Million Paid by Otero County and VitalCore Health Strategies for New Mexico Jail Suicide, June 1, 2026. Failure to Treat, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Suicides, Immunity - Sovereign/Municipal, Deliberate Indifference.
- $1 Million Settlement Reached in Jail Suicide of Maryland Detainee Whose Emergency Hospitalization Order Was Ignored, June 1, 2026. Qualified Immunity, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Suicides, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
- Pepper Spraying Incident Prompts Policy Change at Washington Women’s Prison, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Settlements, Staff Training, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- Spike in Massachusetts Prisoner Suicides Blamed on Isolation, K-2 and Spotty Mental Healthcare, May 1, 2026. DOJ CRIPA Actions, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides, Confinement in Segregated Housing, Administrative Detention/Segregation.

