The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has added Bowie County Jail in Texas to the names of Non-Compliant Jails listed on the TCJS website. TCJS Inspector Michael L. Gravitt has cited the Texarkana, Texas, jail for alleged violations of minimum jail standards. The jail inspection report is dated January 23, 2023.  

The address of Bowie County Jail aka Bowie County Correctional Center is 105 West Front Street, Texarkana, TX, 75501.

TCJS cited Bowie County Jail for non-compliance with §265.3- Observation During Holding in a chapter entitled Admission. The jail is also allegedly noncompliant with §275.1- Regular Observation by Jailers in the chapter on the Supervision of Inmates.

§265.3- Observation During Holding

This mandatory rule for Texas county and municipal jails states that when inmates are confined in a detoxification cell or a holding cell, they must be observed by jail personnel at intervals not to exceed every 30 minutes. The TCJS inspector notes the following:

• When records at Bowie County Correctional Center were reviewed during the annual jail inspection, it was discovered that the time frame in which 30-minute observations in the holding area were conducted exceeded the time limit on a routine basis.

§275.1- Regular Observation by Jailers

Face-to-face observations of inmates are required in various intervals, and 60 minutes is the maximum amount of time between inmate checks. The hourly personal observations apply to the general population. For inmates categorized as at risk, observations must be made in intervals that don’t exceed every 30 minutes. At-risk inmates are those known to potentially be suicidal or mentally ill or they have demonstrated bizarre behavior.

• The required 60 and 30-minute observation periods were routinely exceeded by jail staff, per the Bowie County Jail records reviewed during the yearly inspection.

The supervision of inmates is recognized as a leading deterrent to custodial suicide and inmate violence. Many jails cite overcrowding as a reason for failing to supervise inmates as required, but the requirements are mandatory and can’t be excused, even if the jail is understaffed and overcrowded.