Is Jail Neglect a Widespread Problem in Texas?-Pt.13
A Young Man in Harris County Jail Dies from Diabetic Ketoacidosis Continued
According to an investigative report about the death of a 28-year-old inmate in Harris County Jail, the jail was cited for failing to provide insulin and blood pressure medication to a detainee who later died. The detainee brought the supplies that he needed with him to the jail. It was properly checked in but not supplied to him during his brief five days of incarceration that immediately preceded his death. A detention officer found him in his cell in an unresponsive state, and he was transported to the jail clinic, where he was declared deceased.
An autopsy was performed, and the official cause of death is listed as “diabetic ketoacidosis,” also known as DKA. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious condition that is a very threat to life, but simple insulin therapy reverses the devastating effects of DKA. When an individual in jail dies of ketoacidosis, there is an immediate red flag. Was there medical neglect, since all that is needed to reverse DKA is insulin therapy?
Earlier this month, on October 4, 2023, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) sent Washington County Jail a notice of non-compliance. The jail was cited for the alleged violation of one minimum jails standard, and it is the one mentioned in the last installment of this series. In Part 14, learn what the TCJS inspector’s note says in the report sent to Washington County.
Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, and Part 12 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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