Catarino Humberto Rodriguez-Borjon has been recognized as a person who died a custodial death while an inmate of Midland County Jail in Midland, Texas. After hitting his head on a concrete structure, he became unconscious and died 15 days later at 51 years of age. March 7, 2021, was the date of his death.

Inmates in Texas county jails can be placed in restraints approved by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) when they become a threat to the safety of themselves or others. Restraint chairs are among the types of restraints approved by TCJS. There are rules for all aspects of interacting with inmates, and if the guidelines for using a restraint chair are not followed, inmates could potentially suffer a serious health issue, based on the manufacturer’s information.

The following are typical manufacturers’ warnings on restraint chairs, and they indicate that there are potential hazards associated with using these restraint devices.

Examples of Restraint Chair Manufacturer Warnings

• Be careful to ensure that the circulation to an individual’s extremities is not cut off.
• Prevent injury by removing leg arms and handcuffs as soon as possible.
• A person could be seriously injured or killed if the individual who places them in a restraint chair has not read and understood the manufacturer’s instructions.
• A restraint chair must never be used for punishment.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

The posts on this website are added for the purpose of helping county jail inmates in Texas, whether previously or currently incarcerated. There is never an intention on this site to suggest that people or organizations have been involved in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor