DeWitt County Jail has been added to the list of non-compliant jails on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website. In a jail inspection report dated January 10, 2023, TCJS Inspector Byron Shelton cited the Cuero, Texas, jail for an alleged violation under Chapter 273-Health Services. The address of DeWitt County Jail is 208 E Live Oak St # A, Cuero, TX 77954.

DeWitt County Jail is Allegedly Non-Compliant with Rule §273.6(3)- Restraints

Per minimum jail standard §273.6-Restraints, when inmates behave in a manner suggesting that they are endangering themselves or others, measures must be taken to manage the situation, minimizing the threat of harm or injury. A determination may be made that restraints are necessary. If they are used, it must be done humanely and only to prevent injury. Restraints are not to be used as a form of punishment.

Under §273.6(3), jailers are required to conduct face-to-face observations of inmates in restraints in increments not to exceed every 15 minutes. When conducting this type of personal observation, jailers must assess both the security of the restraints and the blood circulation to the inmate’s extremities.

• The TCJS inspector reviewed restraint chair logs and found that jail staff failed to comply with the 15-minute observation checks. On multiple occasions, the checks were made between 2 and 13 minutes later than the mandated time frame.

The use of restraint chairs has been widely recognized as a controversial practice. Although restraint chairs have been approved as an option for use in Texas municipal and county jails, the guidelines detailing how they can be used are vital instructions. The repercussions associated with the misuse of restraint chairs in jails have included injury and death.