According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, sustained overcrowding in jails and prisons can have many types of negative physiological and psychological effects on the inmates. Higher death rates, including suicide rates, and an increased number of disciplinary infractions are among the effects of maintaining a jail at overcapacity. Violence among inmates increases as a result of being crammed together, according to numerous studies.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) investigated a complaint about overcrowding in Leon County Jail, which is at 606 E St. Marys Street in Centerville, TX 75833. The jail was found to be non-compliant with three minimum jail standards, two involving overcrowding and one about inadequate supervision. Details follow below and in ongoing installments of this series.

Leon County Jail Texas is Allegedly Non-Compliant with Rule §259.134

According to Rule §259.134, multiple occupancy cells in Texas county jails must contain 2 to 8 bunks and the first bunk must have not less than 40 square feet of clear floor space plus 18 square feet of clear floor space for each additional bunk. A toilet and lavatory must be included in each cell.

• It was discovered during the investigation into a complaint about overcrowding that Leon County Jail was housing 9 inmates in area H, which is a multiple-occupancy cell that cannot exceed 8 inmates.

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and this continuing series.

This website seeks to provide support via helpful information to inmates in county and city jails in Texas. There is no intention of implicating persons or entities in connection with misdeeds.

–Guest Contributor