Joshua Keith Beasley Junior
Joshua Keith Beasley Junior was a child who had struggled with mental health issues since early childhood, according to his mother, who said she has tried to change the system so other kids are not harmed the way he was. He entered the Texas juvenile justice system at age 11, and his mother said his mental health worsened in custody and that he was hospitalized 12 times for self-harm. He was transferred to an adult prison shortly after his 16th birthday and died by suicide in his cell at the Wayne Scott Unit in March 2023. His parents have sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and the University of Texas Medical Branch, alleging Eighth Amendment and ADA violations.
Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). Beasley's parents, in a wrongful death lawsuit, say state agencies and the University of Texas Medical Branch failed to treat his known mental illness and self-harm history, which they say led to his suicide in his cell at the Wayne Scott Unit.
Reported by: Beasley's parents, in a wrongful death lawsuit (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: His parents sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and the University of Texas Medical Branch over his death, alleging Eighth Amendment and ADA violations.