Jail Inspection Report Date December 7-9, 2021

A recent jail inspection report reflecting three areas of non-compliance shows that training that could help to prevent suicide has not been given, as required in Rule §273.5 of the Texas Administrative Code. The rule is that jail staff members must know how to recognize, supervise, document, and handle prisoners with mental disabilities and/or suicidal ideations. The members of the staff responsible for intake screening must have additional training along the same lines.

• An inspector with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) noted that the administration at the county jail did not provide documentation showing that all employees at the jail had received two hours of suicide prevention training, as required.

Alleged Violation of Rule §271(b)(2) Initial Custody Assessment

Per a jail inspection report dated June 3, 2021, the rule requiring all newly admitted inmates to be housed based on an initial custody assessment has allegedly been violated. 

• The TCJS inspector said that the initial custody assessment for inmates was not consistently conducted within 48 hours for inmates held in the holding cells as required by minimum jail standards. 

The above are just two of many examples of non-compliance in county jails in Texas, that relate to suicide prevention in some way.

Studies have been done to determine what makes inmates more at risk than others for committing suicide behind bars. Learn more on suicide risk factors in jails and also see Part 1 in this continuing series.

On this website, there is never an intention to imply that any person or institution has engaged in wrongs. Helping Texas county jail inmates by providing resources is the intention of posts on this site.

–Guest Contributor