At some point during his incarceration at Gaines County Jail in Seminole, Texas, 35-year-old Brian Keith Gandy was identified as potentially suicidal and placed on suicide watch. Tragically, however, a decision was made that he was not a suicide risk any longer, and he was moved to the general population. A short time later, on April 21, 2021, he took his own life using a bed sheet as a noose.

As mentioned in the last post in this series, a Texas jail was found to be non-compliant regarding classification and placement of inmates. The issue is one that can mean the difference between life and death. Details on the jail inspection report findings are below.

Administrative Separation

The jail facility that was cited for non-compliance has an area for administrative separation. Prisoners are placed there either because separation is needed to protect the facility’s safety and security or to protect that inmate. Inmate status reviews for individuals held in the administrative separation area are required every 30 days if the status is to be continued.

According to the inspector with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) that conducted that jail’s inspection, reviews of the status of prisoners held in administrative separation were not conducted during the required 30-day time frame.

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

The hope in adding posts to this website is that current and past prisoners incarcerated in county jails in Texas can find assistance. There is at no time an intention to suggest that wrongs have occurred on the part of organizations or individuals.

–Guest Contributor