A 22-Year-Old Inmate in a County Jail in Texas Dies of Sepsis After Fellow Inmates Begged for Days to Help Him Continued

The mother of the soon-to-be-deceased inmate contacted the jail after hearing from his cellmate who had been released. She spoke to a corporal at the jail about serious medical conditions her son suffered from, including kidney problems and he had a heart valve. She was met with complete indifference. Her call did not instigate a change in care, and he still received no medical attention.

The inmate’s condition continued to deteriorate. Finally, the inmate was so gravely ill that he defecated on himself. The jailers took him to the showers, where he again collapsed. He was unconscious and never revived.

An autopsy was performed, and the medical examiner said that the 22-year-old inmate died from sepsis secondary to acute endocarditis and pneumonitis. These are infections that could have been treated. His pleas for help were ignored, and his medical problems became a death sentence.

After the custodial death, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) conducted a special jail inspection. The county jail where the inmate died was found noncompliant regarding inmate observations. This was the inspector’s note:

• A review of video submitted after a custodial death revealed that observation rounds were not conducted in accordance with minimum jail standards.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8 of this continuing series.

Helping inmates now or previously detained in a municipal or county jail in Texas is one of the purposes of this website. There is never any intention of suggesting that any individual or organization was engaged in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor

, after hearing from his cellmate who had been released, contacted the jail. She spoke to a corporal about some serious medical conditions he suffered from, including kidney problems and he had a heart valve. She was met with complete indifference. Her call did not instigate a change in care, and he still received no medical attention.

The inmate’s condition continued to deteriorate. Finally, the inmate was so gravely ill that he defecated on himself. The jailers took him to the showers, where he again collapsed. He was unconscious and never revived.

An autopsy was performed, and the medical examiner said that the 22-year-old inmate died from sepsis secondary to acute endocarditis and pneumonitis. These are infections that could have been treated. His pleas for help were ignored, and his medical problems became a death sentence.

After the custodial death, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) conducted a special jail inspection. The county jail where the inmate died was found noncompliant regarding inmate observations. This was the inspector’s note:

• A review of video submitted after a custodial death revealed that observation rounds were not conducted in accordance with minimum jail standards.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8 of this continuing series.

Helping inmates now or previously detained in a municipal or county jail in Texas is one of the purposes of this website. There is never any intention of suggesting that any individual or organization was engaged in misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor