Moore County Jail’s Video Records Lack Accuracy

An aspect of jail safety that has been recognized as essential is the proper supervision of inmates. Due to the heightened awareness that face-to-face observations are crucial, all county Texas jails were recently required to install some type of mechanical system that automates video recording of face-to-face checks.

However, Moore County Jail was found to be deficient in meeting requirements of Rule §265.3- Observation During Holding, which mandates observation of inmates in detoxification cells or holding cells to be personally observed by jail staff in intervals that do not exceed every 30 minutes. Notes on this area of alleged non-compliance in a segment with additional details reveal the following:

• The video of observation rounds did not have a time/date stamp, which made it difficult to determine accurate times. It was recommended to facility administration that they investigate the possibility of upgrading the video system to include a running time/date of the video. If that action is not fiscally feasible, clocks should be placed in areas in direct view of the cameras.

As mentioned previously in this series, prior to a Moore County Jail inmate’s death, there were multiple times over the course of several hours in which he was not observed in the holding cell where he was housed. Detox cells are in the same area with the same observation requirements. Awareness of the increase in drug overdoses in jails and the heightened lethality of illicit drugs would seem to make it apparent that failing to observe inmates in these cells could have devastating consequences.

Also see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6 of this ongoing series.

With the intention of assisting local Texas inmates in municipal and county jails, this website was established and provides ongoing posts. Insinuating that organizations or entities have engaged in misdeeds is never intended.

–Guest Contributor