La Salle County Jail is Cited by TCJS for 2 Alleged Minimum Jail Standards Violations

A Jail Inspection Report for La Salle County Jail in Cotulla, Texas, was completed on November 16, 2017, by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). The jail was cited for two alleged minimum jail standards violations. Anytime a jail comes under scrutiny as a result of a custodial death or another event that raises concerns, the TCJS conducts an investigation. Documentation and videos are carefully reviewed, to determine whether records indicate that the jail staff has been following mandatory procedures. The purpose of jail standards is largely to protect the safety of prisoners, staff members, and visitors.

Based on studies and research, it has been determined that making face-to-face checks and ensuring that there is a sufficient amount of staff are two jail procedures that help to keep prisoners safe. These are both areas in which La Salle County Jail has been cited. More details follow:

• Paperwork and video evidence was carefully reviewed, and it was determined that prisoners in holding or detox cells at La Salle County Jail allegedly had welfare checks that exceeded 30 minutes. In addition, documentation was not completed in compliance with minimum jail standards.
• In Texas, each jail facility must have the appropriate number of jailers around the clock. Face-to-face observation of all prisoners must be made by jailers at least every 60 minutes. For at-risk prisoners, such as those who are mentally ill or potentially suicidal, observations must be made every 30 minutes at most. A review of paperwork showed that jail staff either failed to make the 60-minute checks as required or failed to document them as required.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

Written By: smchugh

smchugh