Forty six year old Wayne Joseph Dunlap died in a municipal holding cell in Killeen, Texas, on December 2, 2022. He had been incarcerated for fewer than 24 hours when he died. The address of the Killeen City Jail is 3304 Community Blvd, Killeen TX 76542 in Bell County.

Overcrowding is Among Recognized Problems in the Harris County Jail System

Founders of a watch care group addressing the root causes of crime pointed out some of the key factors that have led to in-custody deaths in Harris County, Texas. Leading factors include the cash bail policy, the county’s penal system, inaccessibility to healthcare, criminal case backlogs, and negligence.

Overcrowding has been a glaring issue in Harris County. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) performed a special jail inspection at Harris County Jail in September 2022, after which the jail was cited for allegedly violating minimum jail standard §259.138 – Holding Cells. This standard provides details about the construction of holding cells and more. The portion of the standard that Harris County violated states that inmates shall not be held in a holding cell for more than 48 hours.

• During the investigation of a complaint made by a Harris County Jail inmate, TCJS inspectors determined that 64 inmates yet remained in holding cells for longer than 48 hours.

Learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this continuing series.

Texas inmates held in local jails can find helpful resources on this site. There is no intention of implicating individuals or institutions in acts of wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor