The custodial death report (CDR) prepared about the death of Darlene Francis provides details in the summary of how the event occurred. On June 30, 2023—the day Ms. Francis died—a deputy with the Bexar County Jail was conducting an observation check at 9:07 AM. Ms. Francis was found lying face down on the floor of her cell. The deputy opened the door to check on Ms. Francis. However, the inmate was unresponsive.

Texas Bill Attempts to Further Shroud Deaths

A watchdog group suggests that this new proposal regarding reporting on custodial deaths will allow sheriffs to investigate themselves. It will also undermine the Sandra Bland Act, which helped to expose the “deadly jail conditions” in the state.

Currently, independent investigations are mandated for custodial deaths. Under Senate Bill 1896, the mandate would only apply if a death is due to “natural causes or occurring in a manner that does not indicate an offense has been committed.” But such conclusions are what investigations are intended to determine in the first place.

Already, the mandate to report custodial deaths does not apply to deaths that happen while they are attended by a physician or registered nurse.

The current bill also purportedly undermines a “key plank of the reforms” that bear Sandra Bland’s name. The Sandra Bland Act, passed in 2017, mandated several reforms, including changes in local jails.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and this ongoing series.

Providing Texas jail detainees and their families with helpful resources is one of the purposes of this website. There is no intention of implicating that individuals or institutions have participated in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor