Freestone County, Texas Jail Fails Inspection

The Freestone County jail, in Fairfield, Texas, failed an inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”). The inspection occurred on April 27, 2021. The Freestone County jail is now therefore listed as being non-compliant by the TCJS.

The TCJS inspector determined that the Freestone County jail’s annual internal audit of classification was not conducted. Therefore, appropriate records were not available for TCJS review.

Moreover, the Freestone County jail violated a serious standard. The TCJS inspector noted, while reviewing medical inmate files, that jail staff were not completing the Screening Form for Suicide and Medical/Mental/Developmental Impairments in its entirety. This is an extremely important standard, because a jail may not properly screen inmates for suicidal tendencies, and other self-harm issues, without completing the TCJS-required form.

The TCJS inspector also noted, while reviewing Freestone County jail staff licensing, that a staff member did not even possess a valid TCOLE jailers license. Surprisingly, that staff member was not only on duty, but he or she was actively supervising inmates.

Finally, the TCJS inspector noted that an annual inspection by health authorities had not been conducted since March 3, 2020. Therefore, that inspection was overdue by two months.

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.