Harris County, Texas Jail in Houston Fails State Inspection
The Harris County jail, in Houston, Texas, failed an inspection conducted by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”) in late 2020. TCJS inspectors noted that documentation from the jail reveal that face-to-face observations were not performed on inmates by jailers no less than once every 60 minutes as required by the TCJS. TCJS inspectors also learned that observations were not performed at 30-minute intervals where inmates were known to be assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill, or who have demonstrated bizarre behavior. Hopefully, the Harris County jail, which houses hundreds of inmates, will remedy these problems and avoid inmate injury and/or death.
Dean Malone
Dean Malone