Veronica Carmona Peranez had engaged in self-harm after police took her into custody the evening of June 17, 2021. Jailers at Brownsville City Jail in Brownsville, Texas, placed Ms. Peranez in a padded cell. Approximately 4 hours later, she was found unresponsive, and her death was pronounced at about 10:17 pm.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) provides the rules of operation that govern Texas county jails and required procedures for supervision of all inmates are included in minimum jail standards. In an effort to prevent inmates from suffering harm when placed in restraints, there are strict guidelines for ensuring the prisoners’ safety.

Restraint Chairs

Restraint chairs are among the types of restraints that have been approved by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. Specifics on the use of restraint chairs are detailed in the section of the Texas Administrative Code for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

The following are among the criteria governing the use of the restraint chair:

• Only individuals who have been trained on the proper use of the restraint chair are authorized to place a resident in the restraint chair and supervise him or her.
• Every 10 minutes, a detention officer or juvenile probation officer must check the circulation of the juvenile.
• As soon as the inmate is no longer a threat to self or others, he or she must be released.
• Removal of an inmate from a restraint chair must be considered every 10 minutes.
• One hour is the maximum confinement for a juvenile in a detention center unless an authorized individual authorizes a longer period of time.
• Within a 24-hour period, 5 hours is the maximum amount of time that a resident can be restrained in a restraint chair.

See Part 1 and this ongoing series.

This website’s posts are intended as aids to inmates now or formerly incarcerated in a county jail in Texas. It is never intended to imply that persons or entities have been involved in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor