A common theme during investigations of county jails with high numbers of custodial deaths regards understaffing. When a jail is understaffed, an area of jail standards that is often omitted is inmate supervision. Yet, a carefulness about tending to inmate observations as required is linked with success in preventing custodial deaths.

The above information about a state outside of Texas can serve to heighten the prevention of custodial deaths in our city and county jails. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) specifies the required frequency of inmate observation. Among inmates at risk due to mental illness or potential suicidal inclinations, observations are every half hour at the most. History shows that many inmates’ lives have been saved during an inmate check. Violating this standard in light of all that is known about suicide prevention in jails would seem to be a rare event, but is that the case?

During jail inspections in Texas, issues related to mentally ill and potentially suicidal inmates as well as observation checks are frequently found to reflect non-compliance.  Watch for a new series on this blog site that will provide details into 2020 jail inspection findings that relate to at-risk inmates and observation checks in city and county Texas jails.

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7 of this 8-part series about county jails with higher-than-normal rates of custodial deaths in a state outside of Texas.

The purpose of this and all posts on this website is to provide information. There is no intent for this or any of the posts on this site to suggest that any individual or institution has engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor