The use of restraints is sometimes deemed necessary in Texas jails when inmates exhibit behavior that poses a threat to themselves or others. A number of jail standards are associated with the use of restraints. For example, inmates must not be kept in restraints in a manner or position that would worsen any physical infirmities they may have. During 2020 jail inspections, at least two jails were cited for non-compliance of a jail standard under “§273.6. Restraints” requiring observation of restrained inmates every 15 minutes. The face-to-face observations include assessment of circulation to the inmate’s extremities and the security of the restraints.

The following are summaries of the comments made by jail inspectors with regard to non-compliance of this jail standard at two different Texas jails:

1. At the time when a certain inmate was found unresponsive in a WRAP restraint system, records reflect that face-to-face observations had not been conducted within the required 15-minute time frame.
2. An area of technical assistance provided in the 2019 annual inspection was in regard to restraint observations. Yet, during the 2020 jail inspection in which video evidence of inmate observations was reviewed, it was discovered that the 15-minute maximum amount of time between observations was exceeded by various amounts of time, from 1 minute up to 10 minutes.

See Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and continuing installments about Texas jails in non-compliance of jail standards set out by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). In the next installment, learn more about the WRAP restraint system as well as other minimum jail standards with regard to the use of restraints.

This post is meant as a source of information. There is not an intention in this or other blog posts on this website to suggest that misconduct of any kind has occurred on the part of any institution, organization, or individual.

–Guest Contributor