Gray County Jail is Non-Compliant with a Rule on Supervision
Inspectors with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) conducted a special jail inspection at Gray County Jail in Pampa, Texas, on June 24, 2025. When they reviewed documentation and video evidence after a custodial death, the inspectors discovered that while jailers made observation rounds, the jailers did not view the inmate face-to-face as required by minimum jail standards.
Gray County Jail is now on the TCJS website for non-compliance with one jail standard.
The address of the Gray County Jail is 218 N Russell in Pampa, Texas 79065. The Pampa jail has a 78-inmate capacity.
Oklahoma County Detention Center Missed Sight Checks for Inmates on Suicide Watch
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) inspected the Oklahoma County Detention Center and found a slew of deficiencies. Among them was a rodent infestation, inmates who were forced to sleep on floors, and missed sight checks. The date of the inspection report is December 11, 2024. A few months before that, OSDH inspectors were not permitted by the jail staff to enter the jail when they showed up for a surprise inspection. A staff shortage was the reason given for the denial of entry.
The OSDH inspectors were not provided with a log of face-to-face observation checks for six detainees who died in the jail’s custody from February through December 2024. Details follow about one custodial death:
- Lashala Taulbee-Pratt died in the Oklahoma County Detention Center on September 20, 2023. A review of sight checks for her death revealed that six face-to-face checks were missing.
Denton County Jail Fails an Inspection with an Inmate Death Involved
Denton County Jail failed an inspection for failure to conduct proper face-to-face observations of 53-year-old Helen Renee Jackson. Ms. Jackson was booked into the Denton County Jail on three separate occasions. She was last booked into the jail in November 2021.
Shortly before Ms. Jackson’s death, video footage captured jail staff scanning the electronic sensor to meet the requirement for completing the observation checks but they were not checking her face-to-face in the holding cell as required by minimum jail standards.
A video shows that at 5:10 a.m. on December 29, 2021, Ms. Jackson lay down on the floor in the middle of the cell and stopped moving at approximately 5:13 a.m. The next observation check was supposedly made at 5:32 a.m. but without seeing Ms. Jackson face-to-face. Finally, at 5:37 a.m., a staff member checked on Ms. Jackson and called for emergency medical services. Helen Jackson was pronounced deceased at 6:35 a.m. on December 29, 2021.
None of the jail staff lost their job in connection with the failed observation rounds, per Assistant Chief Barry Caver, acting jail administrator.
The address of Denton County Jail is 127 N Woodrow Ln # 300, Denton, TX 76205. The jail has an inmate capacity of 1,788.
Caring Legal Support for Jail Custody Deaths
County jails and detention facilities are legally responsible for safeguarding the health and safety of those they hold. If you’ve lost a loved one while they were in county jail custody—whether because of possible medical neglect, abuse, or a suicide that could have been prevented—the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. is ready to stand with you. Our firm has extensive experience with wrongful death claims tied to jail conditions and is dedicated to helping families demand accountability and justice.
We’re here to listen and guide you forward. Reach out to us anytime by phone, text, or through our secure online form to find out whether we can assist.
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