On November 16, 2022, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office filed a custodial death report (CDR) about Tammy Jo Sanders. At age 63, Ms. Sanders died in the custody of Taylor County Jail in Abilene, Texas, on the same day the CDR was filed with the Office of the Attorney General. Her cause of death is currently unknown and pending the results of an autopsy.

Taylor County Jail was Cited for Non-Compliance on March 14, 2019

The March 2019 special inspection report conducted at Taylor County Jail after the January 3, 2019, death of Margo Daniele Gomez resulted in a citation for non-compliance with minimum jail standards. Wendy Wisneski, an inspector with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), found that the jail violated a standard in the chapter about Supervision of Inmates, as follows.

Taylor County Jail is Cited for Violation of Rule §275.1-Regular Observation by Jailers

TCJS Inspector Wisneski referred to Rule §275.1-Regular Observation by Jailers when citing Taylor County Jail for a violation of minimum jail standards. All county jails must have the appropriate number of jail staff on site around the clock. In areas where at-risk individuals are housed, observations must be performed in intervals not to exceed every 30 minutes. At-risk inmates include those who are mentally ill, assaultive, or possibly suicidal or have demonstrated bizarre behavior.

See Part 1 of this series. In the next segment, learn specifics on what Taylor County Jail was cited for in the March 14, 2019, special inspection report.

The purpose of this website is to provide a place where Texas inmates who have been detained in a local jail, such as a county or municipal jail, can find helpful resources. Insinuating that a person or an organization has been participating in misdeeds is never intended on this site.

–Guest Contributor