Research shows that Rodney Shane Howard, age 32, was at risk for suicide just by nature of his age group when he was found hanging in his jail cell in Terry County Jail. On September 23, 2019, he died at a Brownfield, Texas, hospital from the injuries he sustained.

A primary responsibility of jailers is to ensure that inmates do not die in jail, whether from suicide or for other reasons. Another situation besides suicide that is known to be a danger to inmates has to do with being placed in restraints. The restraint chair, in particular, is associated with potentially life-threatening risks. For instance, according to manufacturers of the device, an inmate could be seriously injured or killed in a restraint chair if the person placing him or her in the chair is not informed or experienced in the performance of the task.

Medical care is provided for all inmates being detained in a restraint system, due to a range of associated hazards. Even when placed in handcuffs, a person’s blood circulation could be cut off. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), which has approved all of the types of restraint devices that are permitted to be used in Texas county jails, has provided guidelines to ensure inmate safety. This includes face-to-face observation checks every 15 minutes.

During annual jail inspections conducted by TCJS, the inspectors find that a number of jails each year have failed to provide the required supervision to inmates. Even the risky situation of detaining a prisoner in a restraint chair does not seem to be handled with a high level of care.

Inmates in Restraint Chairs Are Not Checked On as Required

• At one Texas county jail, a jail inspection report dated December 2019 shows that the staff at the jail exceeded the 15-minute observation checks of inmates in restraint chairs on multiple occasions by 1 to 22 minutes.

See Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

Posts on this website are intended to assist prisoners incarcerated in Texas county jails, whether they are current or former inmates. This website never intends to infer that persons or organizations have engaged in wrongs.

–Guest Contributor