Markist Levar Sims was arrested on August 5, 2022, in Matagorda County in Bay City, Texas. He was then placed in Matagorda County Jail at 2323 Avenue E in Bay City. Mr. Sims was housed in a detox cell, where he experienced medical distress within a short time. His death came 5 hours after being booked into the jail.

Matagorda County Jail is Cited for Non-Compliance

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) establishes the minimum jail standards for all municipal and county jails. Each of the Texas county jails is inspected annually. When Matagorda County Jail was inspected in 2020, an inspector with TCJS found that the jail was non-compliant with regard to custody and reassessment reviews related to classification. In addition, the jail was cited for failing to provide mandatory training. More details follow on these alleged violations.

RULE §271.1(b)(3)–Objective Classification Plan

Under Rule §271.1(b)(3), jails are required to conduct a reassessment of the Initial Custody Assessment within 30 to 90 days of an inmate’s entry into the jail. Also, a reassessment should be made as soon as any type of disciplinary action has occurred or there has been a change in legal status that would have an effect on classification. In addition, a documented classification review must be conducted every 30 to 90 days thereafter to determine the necessity for a complete reassessment.

Learn more in Part 1 and in this continuing series, find out what the TCJS inspector said about the alleged violation of the above-referenced minimum jail standard at Matagorda County Jail and the importance of proper inmate classification.

The aim in adding posts to this website is to provide resources helpful to county and municipal jail prisoners in Texas. There is no intention on this site of insinuating that individuals or entities have been participants in acts of wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor