The Texas Supreme Court has said no liability for putting suicidal prisoner into cell with corded telephone.  Dallas County v. Posey, No. 08-0094, 52 Tex. S. Ct. J. 782 (Tex. 2009).  The issue, according to the Supremes, is not whether the cell was dangerous, but whether the cord itself was dangerous.  Since the cord worked just fine to hang the prisoner it was not defective and the defendant is off the hook.