The custodial death report for 47-year-old Ariel Ledesma suggests that he suffered a fatal head injury after struggling with jail staff at Galveston County Jail. Mr. Ledesma had allegedly been trying to push his way out of the cell when the confrontation occurred. He died on December 14, 2020.

The minimum jail standards, which are set by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), permit Texas county jailers to use restraints on inmates. The occasion in which restraints can be used is when a prisoner is behaving in a manner that could cause harm to himself or others.

CHAPTER 273–HEALTH SERVICES; RULE §273.6—Restraints

The guidelines for the use of restraints are found under Health Services in the Texas Administrative Code, and they include the following:

• The medical condition of a prisoner must be assessed by an appropriate member of the jail staff before placing him or her in a restraint system.
• The least restrictive restraint method that will effectively halt the injurious behavior must be used.
• The manner or position in which a prisoner is restrained must not worsen any physical infirmities he or she may have.
• Every 15 minutes, at a minimum, jail staff must ensure a face-to-face observation of inmates in restraints.
• During inmate checks, the restraints must be checked to make sure blood circulation to extremities has not been cut off.
• After two hours in restraints, inmates must receive medical care, which includes an opportunity to take nourishment and use the toilet facilities.

See Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

This site seeks to help county jail inmates in Texas. There is no intention on this website to imply that individuals or establishments have engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor