The day after he went through the intake process at Dallas County Jail in Dallas, Texas, 24-year-old Shamond Titas Lewis was placed in a restraint chair where he became unresponsive. Mr. Lewis never recovered and died on September 29, 2022, which was a week after being booked into the county jail.

Oregon County Policies on the Use of Restraint Chairs & Other Restraints

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office makes public the details of their Critical Policy on the use of Restraints, including restraint chairs and restraint WRAP devices, which the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has also approved. In the Deschutes County jail system, restraint devices are referred to as Emergency Restraint Chairs (ERCs) and they are defined as chairs specially designed to strap down an inmate’s arms, legs, and torso.

Medical Examination and Treatment for Inmates in Restraints

When an inmate has been restrained for non-routine purposes, medical staff must examine the inmate shortly after he or she is placed in restraints. Next, the inmate who remains in restraints must be examined at 2-hour intervals. Medical staff must make notes on these exams in the inmate’s medical record.

Under the heading “Supervision of Inmates in Restraints,” a deputy must check on the welfare of an inmate in restraints at least every 15 minutes. These 15-minute checks or rounds must be recorded on the correct Inmate Round Record Form and attached to the Jail Incident Report. Also to be noted on the form are inmate activities as well as his or her condition and behavior.

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

The aim of this website is to provide helpful resources to benefit inmates in county and municipal jails. Accusing organizations or individuals of misdeeds is not intended on this site.

–Guest Contributor