At a jail outside Texas over the weekend, three inmates in a quarantine cell were found unresponsive. About an hour later, two of the inmates were pronounced dead and the third inmate was transferred to a hospital for treatment of a drug overdose.

Authorities at the correctional facility have said that the incident is overdose-related and an internal review is ongoing.

In Texas, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) is the organization responsible for establishing minimum jail standards. The purpose of these standards is to ensure the safety of inmates, jail staff, and the public. When an event such as an inmate drug overdose occurs, based on the jail standards that are in place, it seems to be a clear indication that something has gone wrong.

For the protection of the individuals mentioned above, the following are standards associated with medication being distributed to inmates in Texas jails:

• The jail must establish and enforce procedures for the distribution, secured storage, control, inventory, and disposal of prescriptions, needles, syringes, and hazardous waste containers.
• Procedures must be established in which prescriptions are distributed to inmates according to a doctor’s written instructions.
• A qualified medical professional must review any prescription medication that a prisoner is taking when booked into custody.

All posts on this website are provided as informational resources for current and former inmates and their families. At no time is there intent to infer impropriety of any sort has occurred on the part of a person or institution.

–Guest Contributor