Billy Joe Spann was booked into the Ochiltree County Jail on April 30, 2022. He died there at age 50 on May 19, 2022. The address of the Ochiltree County Jail is 511 S. Ash in Perryton, Texas 79070. Mr. Spann’s cause of death is unknown but the custodial death report (CDR) reflects that atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is indicated, per preliminary autopsy results.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) gets more complaints on the topic of medical care than any other issue in Texas county jails. Sepsis is among the major concerns. It is a potentially deadly condition that can be resolved with antibiotics. Anytime an inmate dies of sepsis, it is generally considered to have been a preventable fatality.

Sepsis is among the infectious diseases that plague jails. Inmates interact with multiple correctional employees and fellow inmates. The opportunities for infectious diseases to spread are tremendous, according to practitioners in infection control. Sepsis develops because of infection, and treatment with antibiotics is usually very effective.

Supplies to help with infection control are often locked up to discourage theft. In addition, jails frequently lack isolation rooms for infectious patients and personal protective equipment to help prevent the spread of infection. Medical infirmaries in jails are often lacking in sufficient handwashing stations.

Learn more in this continuing series.

Each post on this website is meant as a helpful resource for prisoners who have been detained in a Texas county jail. Making implications of wrongdoing about people or institutions is never intended on this site.

–Guest Contributor