Cass County, Texas Jail is Cited for 2 Alleged Violations of Minimum Jail Standards
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) routinely conducts inspections of local jail facilities to ensure that they are safe, secure, and suitable. Last year Cass County Jail was inspected, and a Jail Inspection Report was released on November 14, 2017. The jail was cited for two alleged violations. One involved training and drills that ensure jailers are prepared for emergencies involving fire, evacuation drills, and location and use of equipment. Several of the jailers allegedly did not receive their quarterly life safety training. The other alleged violation was that a fire panel had not been inspected within the past year, as required by minimum jail standards. Many times, TCJS inspects a jail in response to prisoner complaints. Those complaints are detailed and analyzed in annual jail reports prepared by the commission. Life safety complaints, such as those Cass County Jail is cited for, register as 0% of total complaints.
Of the 1,079 complaint letters TCJS received in the year 2016, 45% of them were complaints about medical services. When someone dies while incarcerated, special jail inspections are conducted. Documentation and videos regarding medical care are included in the detailed research of anything that may have been associated with the death.
In news during summer of 2017, medical-related problems regarding prisoners in Texas county jails being exposed to sepsis were highlighted. In Harris County, Texas, in particular, records revealed that custodial deaths have been caused by a variety of treatable infections, including sepsis, pancreatitis, bacterial meningitis, and swine flu. The conclusion of the analysis was that revisions may need to be made in Texas jails, to ensure that prisoners receive needed medical treatments.
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