When prisoners are taken to county jails, jail operators and staff members have a responsibility to follow minimum jail standards, many of which help protect inmates from dying. In Texas, for instance, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) requires all county jails to develop programs that ensure that inmates receive mental, medical, and dental care. Other states have similar practices to prevent harm to inmates. in spite of this, inmates frequently die behind bars, often before the individual has even had their day in court.

One Inmate Dies and Four Others Have Overdose Symptoms

In a county jail outside Texas last week, an inmate was discovered dead in his cell. Within a few hours, four other inmates with overdose symptoms at the same jail were transported to a hospital. They were treated with Narcan and taken back to the jail, where they were housed in cells in which observation is heightened. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the custodial death and another investigation is focused on learning where inmates got the drugs that they may have ingested.

An Inmate Dies Shortly After Being Booked into Jail

Within the past week in another county outside Texas, a 45-year-old man was arrested and booked into the county jail. During the inmate screening process, the man made suicidal statements. Jail staff deemed him to be a danger to himself. He died a short time later.

An investigation has preliminarily found that deputies had escorted the man to a single cell. Once inside, his clothing was removed by deputies, he was placed face down on the floor, and his handcuffs were removed. Deputies exited the cell but minutes later saw that he was not moving. They re-entered the man’s cell and began CPR and other life-saving measures. Emergency medical technicians were requested, but the inmate was declared dead at the jail. The cause of death is unknown and awaiting the results of an autopsy.

When custodial deaths occur in Texas, investigations are typically conducted by both the Texas Rangers and TCJS.

Making an implication that wrongdoing has occurred, whether on the part of a person or an entity, is never intended on this website. Each post purposes to provide assistance to prisoners now or previously held in a county jail in Texas.

–Guest Contributor