Derrick Richard Allen was placed in a single-occupancy cell on September 12, 2022, after being booked into Jefferson County Jail in Beaumont, Texas. In the custodial death report (CDR) about Mr. Allen’s passing, there is no evidence that he received medical treatment during his week at Jefferson County Jail. Mr. Allen was 37 years old when he died in the jail’s custody one week after his arrival.

Do Mentally Disabled Inmates in Texas County and Municipal Jails Get the Health Care Services They Need? Continued

Harris County is proactive in determining whether inmates in Houston, Texas, jails may need mental health services. Pre-trial services, for example, include interview questions that may reveal mental health issues. Staff members in the different locations of the Harris County Jail can make referrals if an inmate who was not identified as mentally disabled during the initial intake process appears to need treatment or assessment.

A simple practice that has proven effective is the use of an orange sheet of paper in an inmate’s record that flags a mental health issue. Defense attorneys, the courts, and anyone with legal access to inmates’ records can easily see by the presence of an orange sheet of paper that the inmate has a mental health condition.

See Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this continuing series.

This website exists to serve as a helpful resource to Texas inmates in local city and county jails in the state. Making accusatory statements against people or institutions is never intended.

–Guest Contributor