Miranda Louise Grayson died in the custody of Hutchinson County Jail in Borger, Texas, on May 24, 2022. She was 35 years old when she died from suicide. Although the official cause of death is pending autopsy results, a bedsheet is listed as the weapon that caused her death.

Willacy County Jail is Found Non-Compliant with Jail Standards Pertaining to Suicide Prevention

Inspectors with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) recently completed a jail inspection report dated April 19, 2022. The report shows that Willacy County Jail is non-compliant with regard to 8 minimum jail standards. Guidelines for making regular observations by jailers are among the areas in which the jail was found to be lacking. Observations by jailers are considered integral aspects of the suicide prevention plan that each jail adopts. The inspector’s note on this breach of standard indicates the following:

• Jail staff exceeded both the 30-minute and the 60-minute face-to-face observation requirements on numerous occasions.

Standard aspects of suicide prevention in Texas jails also include intake screening, staff training, prompt intervention, appropriate and safe housing, social interactions, and communication between staff members. The failure to keep up with observation requirements is a frequent area of noncompliance among Texas county jails. When addressing non-compliance, Texas county sheriffs often cite an insufficient budget to properly staff their jails.

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series to learn more.

This website purposes to provide helpful resources to inmates now or formerly held in city or county jails in Texas. Implicating people or institutions in acts of wrongdoing is never intended on this site.

–Guest Contributor