Derrick Richard Allen Dies After Being in Jefferson County, Texas Jail

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, in Beaumont, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Derrick Richard Allen. Mr. Allen was only 37 years old at the time of his death. We provide in this post information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On 9/18/2022 at about 0234 hours inmate Derrick Allen was found unresponsive in his single cell. Upon checking it was found he was in medical distress and emergency care was given immediately by officers and medical staff. Emergency Medical Services were called and inmate Allen was transported to Baptist Hospital Emergency Room. Inmate Allen subsequently passed in the Emergency Room from cardiac arrest.”

The report also indicates that at some time during the incident and/or entry into the Jefferson County, Texas jail, Mr. Allen appeared intoxicated, exhibited mental health problems, and exhibited medical problems. The report provides no information regarding what, if any, treatment Mr. Allen was receiving in jail for his issues. The report also does not provide any information regarding how often Mr. Allen was observed, and/or whether he was in a portion of the jail appropriate to treat ongoing issues.

The United States Constitution requires jailers in Texas to provide reasonable medical care and mental health care to inmates. If jailers fail to do so, or are deliberately indifferent or act in an unreasonable manner, or a policy, practice, and/or custom of the jail is in play, and a person dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to file a federal lawsuit. These civil rights lawsuits are brought as a result of alleged constitutional violations.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.