After Comal County Jail detainee Ronald Tracy Bush was transferred to Resolute Hospital on June 14, 2023, the jail released him from the New Braunfels jail’s custody on a personal recognizance (PR) bond two days later. On June 30, 2023, a tracheotomy was placed, and Mr. Bush was treated for bleeding of the liver due to cirrhosis. He remained in the hospital’s care and his condition continued to decline. On July 11, 2023, an examination revealed that Mr. Bush was suffering from perforated bowels, and emergency surgery was performed. After consulting with Mr. Bush’s family regarding his poor medical status, they instructed hospital personnel to place Mr. Bush on comfort measures. He was placed on comfort measures at about 8:15 PM. Tragically, at age 53, Mr. Bush was pronounced deceased by a nurse practitioner at 9:32 PM on July 11, 2023.

Rule §273.6-Restraints in the Texas Administrative Code

Restraints should restrict the movement of a detainee only to the degree necessary to avoid injurious behavior. The restraint chair, therefore, should be used if all other means of restraint are inadequate to do so. Soft or padded restraints should be used when feasible. Inmates shall not be restrained in a position or manner that would worsen any physical infirmities.

Documented observations of a detainee restrained in a restraint chair must be conducted every 15 minutes. The observations should include a check of the blood circulation to the extremities.

County jails in Texas are often cited for failing to check detainees held in a restraint chair within the 15-minute timeframe. The failure to properly monitor individuals in a restraint chair has proven at times to be life-threatening.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this five-part series.

This website aims to provide resources helpful to Texas inmates detained in county and municipal jails. There is never an intention of insinuating that persons or organizations have been participants in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor