Denay Birnie was found unresponsive by a jailer well before dawn after being booked into Parker County Jail in Weatherford, Texas, the night before. The 27-year-old received immediate medical attention but still died before sunrise on November 9, 2017. Jailers in Texas county jails have a responsibility to check in all jail prisoners at intervals no greater than every 60 minutes, actions that can potentially save lives. At-risk inmates are supposed to be looked in on more frequently, either every 15 minutes or every 30 minutes, depending on the situation. These safety measures were put in place by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS).

Inmate Observation Checks Continued

In spite of the importance of inmate supervision that is achieved through inmate observation checks, Texas county jails are often found to be non-compliant with this requirement. Supervision saves lives, both for the general population of inmates and those at risk due to being potentially suicidal, mentally ill, or found exhibiting bizarre behavior. Inmates in the general jail population, according to studies, account for 40% or more of custodial suicides.

A jail inspection report released in December 2020 reveals that one county jail in Texas seems to have been shockingly negligent with regard to jailers checking on inmates in face-to-face observations. The law is that jails shall have an established procedure in which these routine observations are conducted and documented every 60 minutes. The following is the information provided by the TCJS inspector for that Jail Inspection Report:

• On the 4th floor of the primary jail facility, no documentation was found showing that inmates on that floor had been observed by jailers in face-to-face observations between November 1 and December 15 of 2020.

See Pt. 1 of this continuing series to learn more.

This website offers helpful posts intended to benefit current and former inmates in Texas jails. On this site, there is never an intent to imply misdeeds on the part of entities or individuals.

–Guest Contributor