Drugs were associated with the arrest of 25-year-old Anderson Howard.  He was arrested by the Rowlett Police Department, Rowlett, Texas, in Dallas County on October 9, 2021. For reasons that were not specified in the related custodial death report, Howard died the same day as his arrest.

Medical care is the issue in Texas jails that is complained about the most, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Inmates have a right to receive necessary medical attention. There have been occasions when jail medical staff allegedly failed to act on behalf of inmates in obvious need of attention and other employers took action. Such was the case the following incident that occurred some years back in a county jail.

An Inmate Dies After Being Injured in the Jail

A prisoner initiated a scuffle with guards and ended up being taken to the floor in a way that resulted in his forcefully hitting his head on the concrete floor. He was placed in handcuffs and was later examined by medical staff who had him sent to a nearby hospital for a head scan. No fractures were seen on his head or neck and he was returned to the jail.

After a few hours, the inmate informed guards that he was paralyzed. He was given Tylenol that night and oral prescription medication the next morning. He was not able to lift up and accept more pills later in the day. The medical staff member noted the incident as “refused” medication. Later on, a guard fed the medicine to the inmate by hand.

The inmate’s condition worsened. He began defecating on himself and was unable to move. A guard contacted a relative who was a nurse. Arrangements were made for outside sources to get the prisoner to a hospital, where he died two weeks after the initial incident.

This site seeks to provide help to current and former prisoners in county jails in Texas. There is not an intent to suggest misdeeds on the part of persons or entities.

–Guest Contributor