Brandon Ford was booked into the North Richland Hills Police Department jail facility in Richland Hills, Tarrant County, Texas, on October 17, 2021, at 1:25 a.m. While he was still in the holding cell, he experienced a distressing medical episode and ultimately died at 5:50 a.m. the following day. The custodial death report indicates that his means of death was a drug overdose.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) sets the guidelines for the operation of the state’s county jails. The means of enforcement is to inspect each jail annually.

The issue of safety is addressed through jail requirements. The inmate screening process and observation of inmates are two essential functions meant to provide at-risk inmates with protection from potential self-harm. A December 2021 jail inspection report revealed that a Texas county jail has not complied with two inmate screening requirements and the face-to-face observation requirements of the most vulnerable inmates. Details follow below and in this ongoing series.

Violation of Rule §273.5(a)(2)

This rule pertains to the identification of inmates during intake screening. Referrals must be made to available mental health officials when a person is identified who may be mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal. 

• The TCJS inspector said that on multiple occasions, jail staff did not notify the magistrate within 12 hours as required when there are positive returns on the Continuity of Care Query (CCQ) or affirmative answers on the Screening Form for Suicide and Medical/Mental/Developmental Impairments.

Learn more in the coming installments of this series. 

Making an inference that wrongdoing has occurred on the part of any organizations or individuals is never intended here on this website. The aim of posts added on this site is to provide helpful resources of benefit to Texas county jail prisoners.

–Guest Contributor