51-year-old Catarino Humberto Rodriguez-Borjon was incarcerated at Midland County Jail in Midland, Texas, when he had an encounter with jail officers on February 20, 2021. Mr. Rodriguez-Borjon was allegedly shoved and ended up losing his balance and striking his head against a concrete bench as he fell. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died on March 7, 2021, having never regained consciousness.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards sets minimum jail standards for county jails in Texas, and the guidelines for operation include disciplinary policies and procedures for inmates. Inmate discipline is divided into minor infractions and major infractions.

The types of sanctions for each type of infraction are limited to the options outlined in the Texas Administrative Code. Details about major infractions follow.

TITLE 37 – PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS; PART 9 – TEXAS COMMISSION ON JAIL STANDARDS; CHAPTER 283 – DISCIPLINE AND GRIEVANCES; RULE §283.1 – Inmate Discipline Plan

Major infractions are violations of rules and regulations that are serious offenses against persons and property and seriously threaten institutional safety and order. The following are the only types of punitive actions that can be taken against an inmate that has committed a major infraction:

• Removed from work programs or details
• Privileges are lost for 30 days maximum
• Any good conduct credits are lost
• Pay restitution for causing jail property damage
• Placed in disciplinary separation for 30 days maximum

Learn more in this ongoing series.

This post is intended as a source of help for inmates in Texas county jails. On this website, there is no intention to imply that institutions or persons have engaged in wrongs.

–Guest Contributor