An Inspection of Potter County Jail Reveals Chronic Non-Compliance
After a May 20-22, 2025, inspection of Potter County Jail in Amarillo, Texas, inspectors with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) found that the jail had been noncompliant for 101 days in the previous year. TCJS has added Potter County Jail to the online list of non-compliant jails.
TCJS sent a notice of non-compliance to Potter County Jail aka Potter County Detention Center on May 23, 2025. Corrective action must be completed upon receipt of the notice. The following note by TCJS inspectors describes the nature of Potter County Jail’s violation:
During a jail inspection, the average daily population documentation was reviewed, covering the last 12 months. It was discovered that Potter County Jail’s general population was above designed capacity by 1 to 36 inmates for 101 days throughout the year.
The address of the Potter County Detention Center is 13100 NE 29th Ave, Amarillo, TX 79111. The bed capacity at the jail is 599.
Jail Inspections May Not Catch Patterns that Result in Inmate Deaths
Randall County jail is also in Amarillo. Detainees in both jails have died.
When certain things happen in jails, they can raise a red flag regarding potential abuse or medical neglect. Here are short summaries of some Amarillo jail deaths:
- Michael Glenn Stewart was incarcerated in Randall County Jail in Amarillo, Texas. Tragically, he died in the jail’s custody. Mr. Stewart, 76, was pronounced deceased on July 23, 2024, after being moved from the jail to a hospital. His medical cause of death is listed as “Acute renal failure with sepsis and septic shock.” Deaths from sepsis can usually be avoided by treating infections with antibiotics. In Potter County Jail, a 58-year-old inmate died of sepsis on June 29, 2024.
- The death of 42-year-old Tobe Lee Fluty, Jr. in Randall County Jail on January 24, 2023, may have been preventable. He received medical care in his brief stint as an inmate, but he ultimately died of peritonitis, which is a type of infection. Likewise, on or about March 10, 2022, 26-year-old Larry Darrell Douglas, Jr. died of a ruptured appendix in Potter County jail’s custody.
Compassionate Legal Help for Deaths in Jail Custody
Jails and county detention centers have a legal obligation to protect the health and safety of individuals in their care. If you’ve lost a family member while they were incarcerated—whether due to suspected medical neglect, mistreatment, or a suicide that could have been prevented—our team at the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. is here to help. We have significant experience handling wrongful death cases involving jails, and we are committed to pursuing accountability and justice on behalf of grieving families.
We’re here to listen and support you. You can contact us anytime via phone, text, or through our confidential online form.
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