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'The system failed him': Suicide at an Oklahoma jail points to a troubling trend

WBUR | By Peter O'Dowd

Published September 18, 2025 at 11:49 AM EDT

A program from Mario Mason's funeral sits on the mantel at Cicely Mason's home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Wednesday August 20, 2025. (Nick Oxford for Here & Now)

Suicide is one of the top reasons why people die in custody in U.S. jails. For years, the Oklahoma County jail has struggled with health and safety issues, including inmate suicides.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd goes to Oklahoma City to learn about an effort to keep seriously mentally ill people out of jail.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

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