Is Jail Neglect a Widespread Problem in Texas?-Pt.10
A Mentally Ill Detainee Was the Victim of Untenable Jail Neglect Continued
A captain at the Harris County Jail testified that he had ordered pictures to be taken of the squalid conditions a 23-year-old detainee had been living in. Another testified that, after the reality of the situation was brought to light, the man was placed back in the same cell that same evening.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the end of it. What happened to the young man was fully investigated. In the end, a district attorney’s statement summarized by saying the jail staff must understand that they must do their jobs, even it the tasks are unpleasant, such as dealing with an unsanitary cell. The detainee was later transferred to a state prison.
The Texas Senate Passes a Bill to Eliminate the Requirement to Investigate All County Jail Deaths
In 2017, Texas passed the Sandra Bland Act, which required all jail deaths to be investigated by an outside law enforcement agency. A bill that just passed in the Texas Senate would walk back that aspect of the Sandra Bland Act. With the new bill, deaths would not have to be investigated if a physician determines that a detainee died of natural causes while in jail custody
Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, and Part 9 of this continuing series.
Providing municipal and county jail detainees in Texas with helpful resources is one of this website’s purposes. Suggesting that a person or entity has engaged in wrongdoing is never intended.
–Guest Contributor
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