The Attorney General of Texas received a Custodial Death Report (CDR) from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office about Bennie Ray Bell on August 12, 2022. Fifty-five-year-old Bennie Ray Bell died in the custody of El Paso County Jail on July 24, 2022. The jail’s address is 12501 Montana, El Paso Texas 78838.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has supervision requirements that include random observation checks. The safety of inmates is the purpose behind randomizing face-to-face observations. Predictable supervision means lack of supervision is also predictable, which could lead to incidents that result in harm to one or more inmates. Issues that are historically worsened due to insufficient supervision include an increased threat of inmate suicide and violence between inmates.

Tyler County Jail is Allegedly Non-Compliant with Rule §275.1-Regular Observation by Jailers

Per Rule §275.1-Regular Observation by Jailers, face-to-face observations of prisoners are required in county jails at certain intervals. The general population must be observed no less than once every 60 minutes. In areas where inmates are known to be mentally ill, potentially suicidal, or assaultive or when they have exhibited bizarre behavior, they are supposed to be observed every 30 minutes.  

However, as jailers learn in training, the observations of inmates must be at staggered times within the maximum time allotted between checks. TCJS inspectors have reported that Tyler County Jail was non-compliant with Rule §275.1.

Learn more in this continuing series.

This website strives to provide information that is helpful to Texas prisoners currently or previously incarcerated in a municipal or county jail. Insinuating that any person or entity has been a participant in acts of wrongdoing is never intended on this website.

–Guest Contributor