The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) had already listed Harris County Jail in Texas as a Non-Compliant Jail on the TCJS website due to a failure to meet minimum jail standards in September 2022. Another special jail inspection report has a December 19, 2022, date and also shows alleged noncompliance.

A TCJS Inspector has cited Harris County Jail for two alleged violations of minimum jail standards. The address of Harris County Jail is 701 N San Jacinto St, Houston, TX 77002.

TCJS cited Harris County Jail for non-compliance with §273.2(12)- Health Services Plan in a chapter entitled Health Services. The jail is also allegedly noncompliant with §273.3-Health Instructions

§273.2(12)- Health Services Plan

If an inmate is taking prescription medication when he or she is taken into custody, a qualified medical professional will review the prescription as soon as possible. As part of the procedure, the medical expert will determine whether the prescription is necessary for the treatment, care, or stabilization of an inmate with mental illness.

• After a custodial death occurred, documentation was reviewed and showed that while an insulin prescription was reviewed, ordered, and provided while the inmate was in the booking area, it was not reviewed, ordered, or provided once the inmate was moved to housing.

§273.3-Health Instructions

The requirement for this minimum jail standard is that the medical directives of designated doctors will be followed.

• When documentation was reviewed following a custodial death, it was discovered that daily orders were written for the prisoner to receive KOP (Keep on Person) blood pressure medication. This order was not filled, however, nor was this medication provided once the inmate was housed.

Being incarcerated in a local jail should never result in death due to neglect of medical care or any other type of negligence.