Bandera County Jail is Found Lax in the Supervision of Inmates in Restraints

A special jail inspection was conducted at Bandera County Jail in Bandera, Texas, on July 24, 2025. Inspectors with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) discovered that the jail had violated one minimum jail standard. TCJS sent a notice of non-compliance to Bandera County Jail on July 30, 2025. The Commission also now lists the jail on its website’s non-compliance page.

Bandera County Jail violated Rule §273.6(3)-Restraints. This rule requires jail staff to conduct observation checks of inmates in restraints in intervals not to exceed every 15 minutes. These checks include determining if the restraints are secure and ensuring that the inmate’s blood circulation to their extremities has not been cut off. The inspector conveyed the following regarding non-compliance:

Complaint #37726 was addressed during a limited compliance review. According to documentation provided by Bandera County Jail, it was discovered that while Inmate Flores was in restraints, he was checked 29 times. Nine (9) of those checks exceeded the required 15-minute time frame by 1 to 3 minutes.

Significant risks, custodial deaths, are ant times associated with restraint chairs and other restraints. Watchdog group The Marshall Project reported in 2020 that in the previous six years, there had allegedly been at least 20 inmate deaths in U.S. jails linked to the use of restraint chairs. Due to insufficient record-keeping in many jails, investigations into the use of restraint chairs are hampered.

Bandera County Jail’s address is 3360 State Highway 173 N, Bandera, Texas 78003. The jail has a 96-inmate capacity.

Elijah Lester Isbill Dies in Monroe County Jail in Tennessee After Time in a Restraint Chair

Elijah Lester Isbill, 74, was in a disoriented state behind his vehicle’s steering wheel when deputies approached him. He was unable to answer simple questions, such as what year it was. After about an hour during which Mr. Isbill was in an agitated state, deputies took him into custody.

Mr. Isbill was booked into Monroe County Justice Center, and what happened there was captured on a body camera. Since that video was released, a corporal was fired, and two deputies resigned from their positions at the jail. Mr. Isbill spent nine hours in a restraint chair with a spit hood over his head. When he stopped moving, he was removed from the chair, and his hands and feet were purple from the restraints. He was pronounced deceased shortly after that on February 7, 2025.

The address of the Monroe County Justice Center in Tennessee is 4500 New Hwy 68, Madisonville, TN 37354.

Looking for Legal Help After Jail Neglect or Abuse?

Being held in a county or city jail does not mean losing your fundamental rights. When inmates suffer mistreatment—such as being refused proper medical treatment—those failures must be confronted and accountability pursued.

If you have lost a family member in a jail and believe negligence played a role, the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. may be able to assist you. Our firm is committed to handling in-custody deaths, such as jail suicides, with the knowledge and dedication these matters require.

We can be reached at any time of day or night. Call, text, or contact us through our online form to schedule a free consultation.

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