Johnson County Jail in Cleburne, Texas Fails Inspection After Inmate Deaths

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”), as a result of an April 21, 2021 special inspection, has now found that Johnson County Jail , in Cleburne, Texas, to be non-compliant. The results of the inspection were shocking, based upon our Texas civil rights law firm’s review of custodial death reports. We do not recall reviewing a finding by the TCJS consistent with that finding about the Johnson County Jail.

The TCJS inspector wrote:

“A review of documentation provided for a custodial death review revealed that 7 individuals working on the date of the incident did not have a temporary or permanent Jailer’s license. Additionally, a supervisor on duty that day was working on a Temporary Jailer’s License. Jailers shall be licensed through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement prior to supervising inmates, and County Jail Supervisors must possess a permanent license before being promoted.”

The TCJS inspector determined that the Johnson County, Texas jail violated Section 275, paragraph 012 of Texas minimum jail standards.

There is no excuse for a jail, such as the Johnson County jail, to have several individuals working with neither a temporary jailer’s license or permanent jailer’s license. This is even more troubling when the finding is related to a death in that jail.

The special inspection report does not disclose the specific death with which it references. However, there have been at least two recent deaths in the Johnson County jail.

First, Daniel Lee Blankenship committed suicide in the Johnson County jail on February 8, 2021. Here is a link to a story we wrote about Mr. Blankenship’s death – https://deanmalonelawfirm.com/jail-neglect/daniel-lee-blankenship-commits-suicide-in-johnson-county-jail/

Second, Justin Lee Geelan, who was 51 years of age at the time, died shortly after being incarcerated in the Johnson County jail. The custodial death report for Mr. Geelan contained a summary portion which reads:

“On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, according to witnesses, inmate Justin Geelan was standing next to his bunk when he fell backwards to the ground. Geelan appeared unconscious and seizing. Inmate Geelan then regained consciousness and was helped to a bottom bunk bed. Witnesses said inmate Geelan appeared weak but was verbal while sitting on the bottom bunk. Within a short time, Inmate Geelan again became unresponsive and not breathing. Live saving measures were started by staff, which was then taken over by Jail medical. Upon the arrival of EMS life saving measures were continued as they transported inmate Geelan to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne, Texas. Inmate Geelan was later transported to Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, Texas. On March 18, 2021 at the request of Geelan’s mother, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth extubated Geelan and all care was stopped. Geelan passed away at the hospital a short time later. According to the Hospital the time of death was at 4:55 pm on March 18, 2021.”

The United States Constitution guarantees the right of pre-trial detainees in Texas county jails to receive reasonable medical care. It also guarantees the right to be protected from known suicidal tendencies. If jailers are deliberately indifferent to these rights, or they act in an unreasonable manner, and a person dies as a result, then those jailers may be liable to certain surviving family members. Likewise, if a county’s policy, practice, and/or custom caused or was a moving force behind the death of an inmate, then that county may likewise also be liable, through a federal lawsuit, to certain surviving family members. We do not make any allegations in this post that Johnson County was necessarily liable for either of the deaths referenced above. However, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards was apparently concerned enough about the jail’s failure to have licensed employees that it has now listed the Johnson County jail on its list of non-compliant jails. Hopefully, the Johnson County jail has cured its deficiencies and will work hard to protect inmates in its care.

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