Grimes County Jail is now among the non-compliant jails listed on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website. In a January 12, 2023, jail inspection report, Byron Shelton, TCJS Inspector, has cited the Anderson, Texas, jail for an alleged violation of minimum jail standards. The address of Grimes County Jail is 382 FM 149, Anderson, TX 77830.

Grimes County Jail is Cited for Non-Compliance with Rule §273.6(3)- Restraints

TCJS establishes the standards by which county and municipal jails in Texas must operate. In Chapter 273, which addresses Health Services, rule §273.6-Restraints provides the minimum standards by which jails must operate when using restraints. Measures to minimize the potential for harm or injury are sometimes necessary for jailers, and restraints are sometimes involved. Anytime an inmate threatens harm to self or others through their behavior, action is needed. In these situations, a decision regarding the use of restraints may be necessary. When restraints are used, it must be done humanely. Restraints must never be used as a punitive measure.

Per §273.6(3), face-to-face observations of inmates in restraints are required every 15 minutes at most. An assessment of the security of the restraints and the blood circulation to the inmate’s extremities must be included in each of the personal observations.

• As noted in the jail inspection report, during the TCJS inspector’s perusal of restraint chair logs, it was discovered that the 15-minute observation checks were exceeded multiple times by as few as 2 and as many as 11 minutes.

Restraints in general can threaten the safety of inmates if they are not used according to minimum jail standards. Restraint chairs, in particular, pose known potential threats to the health and safety of inmates if guidelines are not followed.

However, even using restraint chairs as instructed can become life-threatening. For example, when a person is involved in a great physical struggle prior to being virtually immobilized in a restraint chair, there is a heightened possibility that a potentially deadly blood clot could form in the inmate’s body. Research suggests that it is rare for an inmate not to struggle against being confined in a restraint chair.