Fannin County, Texas Jail Fails State Inspection

The Fannin County jail, in Bonham, Texas, failed an inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). A TCJS Inspector inspected the jail on January 26, 2022. The Fannin County jail, which is operated by LaSalle Corrections, is now listed as being non-compliant by the TCJS.

The TCJS Inspector determined, when reviewing staff licensing for the Fannin County jail, that 23 staff members appointed as temporary jailers were not registered for a basic licensing course on or before the 90^th day after appointment as required by Texas law. This is unconscionable. Texas law unfortunately allows temporary jailers to be employed at jails – even without any jail experience and without any jail-related education. It is even more troubling when a jail, such as the Fannin County jail, chooses to have 23 staff members, all or many of whom may have no jail education or experience, on staff for several months without even registering for a basic licensing course. Such failure can lead to serious injury or death, both to inmates and staff. Hopefully, LaSalle Corrections, and Fannin County, will quickly remedy this issue.

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.