In the jail inspection reports issued by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards in 2020 in which jails were cited in connection with the use of restraints, the report itself reviews the following aspects of minimum jail standards applicable to restraints:

Restraints can be used on inmates that exhibit behavior suggesting that they are a danger to themselves or others, in order to minimize the threat of harm or injury. When restraints are deemed necessary, the following jail standards must be followed:

• They must be used in a humane manner.
• They must be used only to prevent injuries and not as a form of punishment.
• The inmate must be observed every 15 minutes, and the visits must be documented.
• During the observations that occur every 15 minutes, the circulation to the inmate’s extremities must be checked as well as the security of the restraints.

The following are examples of 2020 non-compliance in two Texas jails in the area of restraints:

The restraint log at one county jail showed that jailers exceeded the required observation checks that must be done every 15 minutes on multiple occasions, and the time was exceeded by between 1 minute and 16 minutes.

Restraint chair logs show that jailers exceeded the required observations required to occur every 15 minutes on multiple occasions, and the delays were between 1 and 10 minutes.

See Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

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