A Nueces County Detainee Found in an Altered Mental State Dies-5
Continuing with the October 27, 2023, events summarizing how the death of 43-year-old Richard Gonzalez occurred, at approximately 7:02 p.m. the Nueces County Jail was notified that Mr. Gonzalez’s health was declining and his heart rate was dropping. At 7:05 p.m., Mr. Gonzalez stopped breathing and hospital medical staff began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Dr. Brittany Davis pronounced Richard Gonzalez deceased at 9:48 p.m. The Nueces County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division was notified as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety-Texas Ranger Max Honesto. The cause of death is unknown at this time pending the results of the autopsy.
Does Overcrowding Contribute to Jail Deaths in Texas Counties? Continued
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) often ties non-compliant jails to rules of operation that require face-to-face observations of detainees. Custodial deaths are often referred to in connection to lapses in supervision.
Cameron County Jail was cited for failing to comply with Rule §275.1-Regular Observation by Jailers. The rule requires face-to-face observations in the general population every hour and for at-risk inmates, the observations are required every 30 minutes. A TCJS inspector wrote this note on the notice of noncompliance report:
- A review of the video submitted after a custodial death revealed that 8 observation rounds were not conducted within the mandated 30-minute timeframe required in the housing area. Additionally, several of the rounds were not conducted face to face as the windows to the single cells had coverings that were not lifted by the jailer to observe the inmates.
Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series.
Helping Texas jail detainees and their families with resources is one of the purposes of this website. There is no intention of intimating that individuals or entities have been involved in wrongs.
–Guest Contributor
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