The death of a woman in a jail cell has focused new attention on the longstanding problem of inmates who take their own lives.
DALLAS — When Sandra Bland died in a small Texas jail last week, she became just the latest name on a long list of inmates whose deaths were determined to be suicides.
Bland’s death following her arrest for a minor traffic violation added fresh fuel to the national debate over police use of force on blacks. It also focused new attention on the longstanding problem of inmates who take their own lives.
The traffic stop “is one issue and that will be dealt with,” Lt.