Jail Suicide Lawyer – The Texas Commission on Jail Standards Discovers Alleged Potential Dangers at San Patricio County Jail in Sinton, Texas
A Jail Inspection Report detailing findings of alleged violations of minimum jail standards at San Patricio County Jail in Sinton, Texas, was released on January 4, 2018. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards conducts an unscheduled investigation of each county jail at least once per year. During this recent inspection at the San Patricio County Jail, five alleged violations of jail standards were discovered. Some of the areas in which jailers allegedly failed to comply with state requirements are related to measures intended to protect prisoners from dangers, including potentially life-threatening situations.
Jail suicides are of concern in states across the nation, and ways are sought to better prevent them. One of the jail standards in Texas is that prisoners who are potentially suicidal, mentally ill, assaultive, or who have demonstrated bizarre behavior are to be confined in an area of the jail where face-to-face observations are conducted every 30 minutes at most. Observation documentation at San Patricio County Jail reviewed by jail inspectors allegedly showed that jail staff members exceeded the half-hour requirement on a consistent basis.
Observation of potentially suicidal prisoners has saved many prisoner’s lives and it happened recently in Bexar County Jail in San Antonio, Texas. On April 28, 2018, a jail staff member intervened as a 33-year-old prisoner was in the process of trying to commit suicide. The jailer interrupted the suicide attempt in time because the prisoner received medical treatment and was released shortly thereafter. Earlier on the same day in the same county jail, another prisoner was discovered hanging himself and a jailer intervened. That prisoner was in critical condition at last report. This alone demonstrates the importance of frequent checks. The earlier such actions are stopped, the better the chances of survival.
Read more about alleged potential hazards at San Patricio County Jail in the second part of this two-part series.
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