Karnes County Jail Fails Inmates with Mental Illness

A jail inspection was conducted at Karnes County Jail in Karnes City, Texas, on April 16, 2024. Promptly on April 18, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) sent the jail a notice of non-compliance. Karnes County Jail was cited for allegedly violating one minimum jail standard. It was discovered by a TCJS inspector that magistrate notifications weren’t being processed as required.

The identification procedure during intake must comply with the Code of Criminal Procedure Article 16.22 and make referrals to available mental health officials. Karnes County Jail’s address is 500 E Wall Street in Karnes City, Texas 78118. The bed capacity at the Karnes City jail is 50.

How Must Jails Provide for Mentally Disabled and Potentially Suicidal Inmates?

Jails must protect mentally ill and potentially suicidal inmates. If there is evidence at intake that a detainee may be mentally ill or at risk for suicide, one of their duties is to notify a magistrate. This immediately has a potential impact on inmates with mental issues, including the following:

Well-informed Magistrate Judges can make appropriate bond decisions and help connect detainees with treatment before such individuals possibly lose the ability to maintain normalcy or to apply psychological defenses. History shows that the mentally disabled may become incompetent within the jail environment.
Sheriffs are notified that these detainees may require special care.
Defense attorneys are assisted in building an appropriate defense and, by client request, they can advocate for appropriate services or treatments.
Trial judges are notified of what is involved to effectively administer justice because a case may involve additional resources, complexities, and support from the community.

Suicide Prevention is Among the Long-Term Benefits of the 16.22 Process

Suicide is a prevalent cause of death in local jails. TCJS requires that members of all jail staff are acquainted with signs that an inmate may be suicidal. The staff involved with intake are given additional training to help ensure that at-risk inmates are placed in areas where the face-to-face observation of detainees occurs every 30 minutes maximum.

So, jailers must be aware of every detainee who has shown signs of being at risk for suicide. Additionally, statistics show that a large percentage of inmates are at risk for suicide, though many show no signs of it in their history or behavior. In other words, no inmate should be disregarded as a suicide risk.

The timing of suicides should also be well-known in local jails. The first 24 hours is when a large percentage of custodial suicides occur. The period from the 2nd to the 14th day of incarceration is when most jail suicides occur.

Help for Jail Medical Neglect

There is something you can do if you believe a loved one died because of any form of jail neglect in a facility in Texas. A victim of jail neglect who sustained a life-altering injury may also have standing to demand justice. At the Law Offices of Dean Malone, we have gained years of experience representing the rights of ex-jail inmates and their loved ones. Contact us 24/7 to schedule a free case evaluation. You can reach us by phone call, text, or our online form.

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