Leon County, Texas Jail is Cited for 11 Jail Violations
A jail inspection was conducted at Leon County Jail in Centerville, Texas, on April 12, 2024. Four days later, on April 16, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) sent the jail a 3-page notice of non-compliance. Leon County Jail was cited for allegedly violating 11 minimum jail standards. Compared with the average number of jail standards Texas jails are cited for, 11 violations are excessive. The jail’s address is 606 E Saint Marys St., Centerville TX 75833. Leon County Jail has an inmate capacity of 53.
Overcrowding is Among the Areas of Noncompliance at Leon County Jail
A TCJS inspector notes an overcrowding issue at Leon County Jail, as follows:
- Leon County Jail has an approved capacity of 53 inmates. Jail records reviewed show that Leon County exceeded their limit a total of 14 times between January 1, 2024, and April 12, 2024. The population at Leon County Jail reached as much as 60 inmates during the same period.
Another issue that can be serious in carceral settings is a lack of supervision. There is a greater likelihood of inmate-on-inmate assaults, sexual assaults, and suicides occurring when jailers don’t provide supervision as required. Inmates in restraints at Leon County Jail were not observed every 15 minutes as required partly for their safety. When inmates are in restraints, observations include ensuring that the blood circulation to major limbs hasn’t been cut off. The TCJS inspector indicated the following:
- One restraint log that was reviewed shows that jail staff exceeded the required 15-minute observations by 11 minutes.
How Does Jail Overcrowding Affect Detainees?
When there are too few jailers to provide adequate supervision, violence increases. Detainees are more likely to act out against jailers and each other when they are continually locked in their cells for long periods. Research shows that staffing shortages in jails contribute to increased assaults against officers.
History shows that when jail staff are overworked and sleep-deprived, there is a greater likelihood that they will use excessive force against detainees. In a January 2024 story by The Marshall Project, a watchdog group, a correctional officers’ union in Nevada blamed the murder of an inmate on the staffing shortage.
Do You Need Help Because a Loved One’s Death Was Possibly Caused by Jail Neglect?
It is an unmitigated tragedy when an individual dies after being booked into a local municipal or county jail. Whether a death was caused by jail medical neglect or neglect stemming from a complete indifference toward an inmate’s mental or physical condition, jails can be held accountable. It isn’t right, for instance, if a person known to have attempted suicide several times is placed among the general population of detainees with no protection against themself.
Perhaps a loved one of yours died in a Texas jail and you believe it was caused by jail neglect. If so, contact us at the Law Offices of Dean Malone. We can work with increased efficiency because we have a team that focuses on custodial deaths. Contact us 24/7. You can reach us by phone call, text, or our online form to schedule a free case evaluation.
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