The following is information in the summary of events surrounding the July 23, 2023, death of Mario Rios, who was a detainee at Dallas County Jail. Inside the Dallas County North Tower Jail Facility, 111 W. Commerce Street, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas 75207-4313, a Detention Service Officer (DSO) with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department was conducting a physical round at the Gill-Hernandez Medical Facility tank NG01 on July 22, 2023. The DSO observed that Dallas County detainee Mario Rios appeared to have blood coming from his mouth. He requested medical assistance. Mr. Rios had been assigned as a medical status inmate at Gill-Hernandez Medical Facility located within the Dallas County North Tower Jail Facility.

Are Detainees in Texas County Jails Provided with Medical Care? Continued

Continuing with Rule §273.2 of the Texas Administrative Code, minimum jail standards include a requirement to provide health services for detainees. More details follow:

• Detainees must be given 24-hour access to a mental health professional at the jail or through a telemental health service. If a mental health professional is not present at the county jail at the time or available by telemental health services, then the jail is required to provide the detainee access to, at a minimum, a qualified mental health professional (as defined by 25 TAC §412.303(48)) within a reasonable time.
• Detainees must be provided with 24-hour access to a health professional at the jail or through a telehealth service. If a health professional is unavailable through the jail or through a telehealth service, provision must be made for a detainee to be transported to access a health professional approved by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this continuing series.

Assisting Texas jail detainees and their families with helpful resources is one of the purposes of this website. Accusing persons or institutions of involvement in wrongdoing is never intended on this site.

–Guest Contributor