A Special Inspection Report on Jefferson County Jail in Beaumont, Texas, Alleges 4 Violations of Minimum Jail Standards
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) conducted a special inspection of Jefferson County Jail in Beaumont, Texas, and released a Special Inspection Report on October 17, 2017. The report claims that the jail staff violated minimum jail standards in connection with an alleged jail suicide. The identification of the individual who died in custody was not included in the report. It’s possible the special investigation was related to the custodial death of 38-year-old Jacobie Flowers in the Beaumont correctional facility. Flowers was discovered on the floor and in distress about 12 hours after being jailed. He died at approximately 3:40 p.m. on August 7, 2017.
The following are some of the details of the above-referenced special jail inspection report on Jefferson County Jail:
- Video evidence submitted to TCJS shows that the face-to-face observations of prisoners in detoxification or holding cells exceeded the maximum 30-minute time frame.
- Documentation indicates that the prisoner in question was supposed to be observed every 15 minutes at the most. Documentation shows that face-to-face observations exceeded the 15-minute limit by 5 minutes up to 2 full hours before the prisoner’s medical emergency.
- A magistrate was supposed to be notified when the prisoner was identified as having mental health issues, but there was no documentation showing that the requirement was adhered to.
- A Department of Public Safety Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (TLETS) Continuity of Care Query was supposed to be submitted on the prisoner in question, but it was allegedly not done.
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