Within a span of 17 days, two Montgomery County Jail inmates in Conroe, Texas, died while suffering from the flu. The men who died were 35-year-old Carl Bible and 41-year-old Mosheer Rashid, and both reportedly had a number of other underlying health issues prior to catching the flu. After their deaths were made public, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was compelled to provide assurances that during seasons when colds and the flu are common, inmate areas are sanitized.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) is the entity in Texas responsible to establish and enforce minimum jail standards. Of course, having guidelines in place is not a guarantee that jails will comply. In fact, jails in Texas are reported as being non-compliant every year. Issues related to medical care are the topics of the majority of complaints against Texas county jails.

The following is an example of a case in which an inmate in a county jail died and then allegations of denial of medical care were made.

Deceased Inmate is an Alleged Victim of Deliberate Indifference

• A 46-year-old woman died in the custody of a county jail and, afterward, multiple complaints were made regarding alleged medical neglect, abuse, and displays of deliberate indifference on the part of jail staff members. The woman’s obvious signs of worsening health were routinely ignored. Allegedly, in her last hours in the jail, the inmate begged for water but was denied. She was finally taken to a hospital for emergency care, but she was reportedly beyond help by that time and died soon after.

See Part 1 of this continuing series.

Posts on this website are intended as helpful aids to inmates in Texas county jails, whether they are current or past prisoners. There is never an intention on this site to infer misdeeds on individuals or entities.

–Guest Contributor