Wallace Howell entered Ector County Jail in Odessa, Texas, at 1:33 a.m. on June 15, 2020. After threatening the safety of others during the booking process, he was placed in a restraint system. At 7:13 that same morning, Mr. Howell was pronounced dead.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) provides county jails in Texas with minimum jail standards by which they must operate. Annual inspections are conducted as a way of holding jails accountable for non-compliance. In a Jail Inspection Report dated January 25, 2021, a Texas county jail was cited for non-compliance in connection with restraint chairs.

TCJS has approved a number of restraint devices for use when inmates are an immediate danger to themselves or others. The appropriate degree of restraint is to be used in each instance. The most restrictive method of restraint is to place an individual in a restraint chair.

Studies have been done which indicate that the potential of developing a pulmonary embolism is increased when some sort of physical trauma is followed by immobilization. The observation was linked with restraint chairs in the study. Manufacturers of restraint chairs typically include a caution against a person being restrained in the device for more than two hours. TCJS requires a different standard, as shown below.

Title 37, Part 9, RULE §273.6 (10) – Restraints

At the earliest time possible in which an inmate no longer behaves in a manner that necessitates restraint, the restraints must be removed. No inmate shall be kept in restraints for a period longer than 24 hours.

See more in this ongoing series. In the next segment, learn the finding of the TCJS inspector from the Jail Inspection Report referred to above.

To assist inmates in Texas county jails, posts are provided on this website. There is never an intention to implicate that persons or institutions have engaged in wrongs.

–Guest Contributor