Dvonte Marquese Valentine suffered an accident while he was incarcerated at Smith County Jail. On November 28, 2022, his 12^th day in the Tyler, Texas, jail, Mr. Valentine reportedly fell in his cell and suffered an injury that ultimately turned out to be fatal. He was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was diagnosed with organ failure.

Smith County Jail is Cited for Noncompliance after a March 3, 2022, Jail Inspection

Rule §259.138(a)-Holding Cells in the Chapter on New Construction Rules

Under Rule §259.138(a), inmates are not to be held in a temporary holding cell for longer than 48 hours, which, of course, is 2 days.

• Inspectors with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) reviewed documentation in response to a complaint. Records showed that a particular inmate was placed in a holding cell on January 25, 2022, and was kept there for 192 hours, which amounts to 8 days.

Smith County Jail Special Inspection Report on February 18, 2022

TCJS Inspector Michael Gravitt conducted a special jail investigation at Smith County Jail on February 18, 2022, after which he cited the jail for three alleged violations of minimum jail standards. Further details are below and in this ongoing series.

Rule §263.41 -Training and Drills

In the Life Safety Rules chapter, Rule §263.41 -Training and Drills, immediately upon employment and no less than each calendar quarter, all jail personnel must be provided with training. This includes training in evacuation drills, emergency, fire, and the location and proper use of equipment.

• Help was provided to Smith County Jail during the 2021 annual inspection with regard to compliance with the requirement to provide safety training. During the February 18, 2022, inspection, documentation was found to show that all staff received training during the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters of 2021.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this ongoing series.

This website is a resource for Texas prisoners in city and county jails. Making accusations that an individual or institution is a participant in wrongs is never intended.

–Guest Contributor