Thirty-year-old Albert Pena was booked into Starr County Jail in Rio Grande City, Texas, the afternoon of August 13, 2020. Because of continued combativeness and evidence of self-harm, he was placed in a Wrap Restraint Device. Within hours of his arrival at the jail, he was found unresponsive in the restraint device and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) determines rules for minimum jail standards. TCJS has approved various restraint devices to be used when an inmate is threatening harm to himself or herself and others. The Wrap Restraint Device is among the TCJS-approved devices. Rules are also in place regarding guidelines for ensuring the safety of inmates who have been placed in a restraint device. The following is more information.

RULE §273.6 – Restraints

The section regarding restraints in RULE §273.6 is under the heading of Health Services. Jailers are required to involve medical personnel in every instance when an inmate is detained with a restraint. General instructions in the intro of the rule state that if restraint is determined to be necessary, the following is required:

• Restraints must be used in a humane manner.
• An inmate may only be placed in a restraint device to prevent injury.
• The restraint of an inmate shall not be used as a punitive measure.

Learn more in this ongoing series.

The posts on this website are intended to help inmates in Texas that are or have been incarcerated in a county jail in the state. There is no intention to infer wrongdoing on the part of a person or entity.

–Guest Contributor