Hill County, Texas Jail in Hillsboro Fails State Inspection

The Hill County jail, in Hillsboro, Texas, is now listed as a non-compliant jail in Texas.  The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”) conducted a special inspection on October 22, 2019.

The TCJS inspector found that the Hill County jail, operated by the Hill County Sheriff’s Office, violated Section 275, paragraph .1, of Texas jail standards.  That standard requires observation of inmates at least every 30 minutes in areas where inmates are known to be assaultive, mentally ill, potentially suicidal, or who have demonstrated bizarre behavior.  The TCJS inspector, after reviewing video evidence and documentation in conjunction with self-reporting by jail administration, determined that face-to-face observations, before discovering an inmate, did not occur.  Further, the TCJS inspector documented two rounds of observations which did not occur.  Finally, even though an inmate had been put on 15-minute observations, instead of the 15-minute rounds, rounds were being conducted only at 30-minute intervals. 

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.