Goliad County, Texas Jail Fails State Inspection

The Goliad County Jail, in Goliad, Texas, failed an inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). The TCJS conducted an inspection on December 1, 2021.

TCJS inspector determined, when reviewing documentation, that staff at the Goliad County Jail exceeded 15-minute observations of prisoners from anywhere between one minute to as many as 23 minutes. This is a serious violation, as prisoners in Texas county jails must be properly observed. The TCJS inspector cited the provision relating to observing inmates who are in restraints. It is extremely important that an inmate in restraints be properly observed. The report does not indicate whether an inmate was injured.

The TCJS inspector also determined that the Goliad County Jail had not been providing four hours of suicide prevention training twice annually as detailed in the Goliad County mental disabilities/suicide prevention operational plan. This is likewise a serious violation, as our Texas law firm handles a number of jail suicide cases. If jailers are not trained as to how to recognize a person who is suicidal, then the county must assure such training. Jailers must be trained to be able to properly do their jobs. The report does not indicate anything regarding whether a person suffered serious injury or death as a result of a suicide attempt.

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.