Less than five hours after she was booked into the Baytown, Texas, city jail by the Baytown Police Department, 47-year-old Patsy Rosas was found on the floor with blood around her head. Chest compressions were applied until EMS got to the scene. She was transported to a medical facility, where she was pronounced dead on September 2, 2021, at 4:12 am.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards provides the minimum jail standards for Texas county jails. Inmate classification is an important part of the booking process. Female inmates must be separated from male inmates by sight and sound. Each inmate is to be classified appropriately to be placed in the least restrictive housing available at that time without placing inmates, the public, or staff members in jeopardy. The following are risk factors considered with regard to each inmate:

• Escape history;
• Current conviction or offense;
• History of offense;
• Prior convictions;
• History of institutional discipline;
• Drug and/or alcohol abuse; and
• Stability of the individual.

Assessments are aimed at determining whether inmates should be in minimum, medium, or maximum custody levels. Another consideration is the placement and release of prisoners to and from special units. Examples include inmates placed in:

• Administrative separation
• Protective custody
• Disciplinary separation
• Mental and medical health housing, including pregnant inmates

Learn more in this continuing series.

Posts on this website are meant as helpful resources to assist prisoners housed in county jails in Texas. At no time is there an intention to infer that people or entities have engaged in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor