The code on using restraints in Texas jails specifies the following guidelines:

• Restraints are meant to be used when an inmate is behaving in a manner that suggests they are a danger to themselves or others. The purpose of restraints is to minimize the threat.
• Restraints must not be used as a method of punishment.
• The type of restraint used should be the least restrictive necessary to gain control of the inmate.
• When an inmate is in restraints, he or she must be observed every 15 minutes at most. During these checks, an assessment should be made regarding the blood circulation to the inmate’s extremities.

Texas County Jail in Non-Compliance

A jail inspection report prepared by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and released in December 2020 shows that a county jail had not complied with four minimum jail standards. One of the violations was described as follows:

• Documentation was reviewed, and it was discovered that jailers had not conducted the required observations of inmates in the restraint chair. Observations were not conducted every 15 minutes, as required.

The Texas minimum jail standards for restraints are listed under the heading of health care for Texas inmates. This alone denotes the importance of maintaining a close association between a restraint chair and medical care provided to inmates.

See Part 1 of this series to learn details of Texas jails in non-compliance in connection with restraint chairs.

Posts on this website are intended as helpful resources for Texas inmates and their families. At no time is there an intent to imply that improprieties have occurred on the part of any person or entity.

–Guest Contributor