Johnny Ray Ximenez was 54 years old when he was booked into Live Oak County Jail in George West, Texas, at 11:16 pm on November 7, 2021. Less than 24 hours later, Mr. Ximenez died at 9:44 pm the following day. His cause of death is pending autopsy results.

When inmates behave in a way that threatens their own safety or endangers the lives of others, an option that county jail staff members have for getting them under control is to use restraints. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has approved various types of restraints. Although restraint chairs are highly controversial and banned in various jurisdictions throughout the U.S., they are among the restraint systems approved for use in county jails in Texas.

Why are Restraint Chairs Controversial?

Custodial deaths linked to restraint chairs have occurred on far too many occasions, research shows. Watchdog groups have studied this issue and released various reports, none of which are encouraging to people who are concerned about inmate rights and safety.

News reports about restraint chairs used in county jails indicate that abuses are often linked to cycles of behavior among jail staff members. For instance, in one jail outside of Texas, multiple inmates were allegedly restrained in a restraint chair or five days or more. It was not uncommon for the inmates to urinate and defecate on themselves due to the lack of opportunity to take restroom breaks.

Learn more in this continuing series.

The posts on this website are never meant to implicate persons or entities in Acts of wrongdoing. The purpose of the posts is to provide county jail inmates in Texas with helpful resources.

–Guest Contributor