Michael Joseph Tokos was booked into Jim Hogg County Jail in Hebbronville, Texas, on August 17, 2022. He died of natural causes at age 55 in the jail’s custody on September 19, 2022. The address of Jim Hogg County Jail is 201 Old Cemetery Rd. in Hebbronville, TX 78361.

Deaths at a County Jail Outside Texas are Scrutinized

Custodial deaths in Texas always come under investigation. Those involved typically include the Texas Rangers, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), and the Sheriff’s Office in the county in question. Similar actions are the norm in other states, as well. One of the ideas behind making the deaths of inmates public is to help ensure accountability.

After three inmate deaths occurred recently in a county outside Texas, a report was released on the past five deaths altogether at the jail. The medical examiner’s office in that area attributed two of the five deaths to natural causes. Two of the deaths were listed as accidental. The fifth inmate who died was 78 years old and died from ventricular fibrillation, which is a kind of irregular heart rhythm.

In the case of this particular jail, a plan was made by county executives to bring in a third party organization for the purpose of reviewing deaths that had occurred in the jail. Those to be involved in examining the history of deaths in that facility include correctional security and policy experts, behavioral health professionals, and a team of physicians from a variety of medical disciplines.

Learn more in this continuing series.

Providing helpful resources to Texas prisoners held in local city and county jails is the purpose of this site. Making implications suggesting that organizations or individuals participating in wrongdoing is never intended on this website.

–Guest Contributor