In Amarillo, Texas, Genaro Rocha was booked into Potter County Jail on July 21, 2019. After a series of events described in Mr. Rocha’s custodial death report, 47-year-old Genaro Rocha was pronounced dead on August 5, 2019.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has approved the use of various restraint devices in Texas county jails when inmates are behaving in a manner that endangers themselves or others. Strict guidelines are provided in minimum jail standards related to the use of restraint devices. For instance, they can never be used as a form of punishment. The only purpose for using restraint devices in Texas county jails is to prevent inmates from harming themselves or others.

In the chapter on Health Services, the following is the rule in the Texas Administrative Code pertaining to restraints.

RULE §273.6 – Restraints

The following are among the requirements for using a restraint device on an inmate in Texas county jails:

• Restraint devices must always be used in a humane manner.
• Medical personnel or supervisory staff are the only individuals who can make the decision to apply restraints on an inmate.
• Before an inmate is placed in restraints, his or her medical condition should be assessed by a qualified member of the staff.
• The movement of an inmate in restraints must be restricted only to the degree required to avoid behavior that could be injurious.

Learn more in this ongoing series.

This website’s posts are intended as helpful resources for Texas prisoners detained in county jails. There is never an intention of implying on this site that persons or institutions have been involved in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor