Forty-five-year-old Markist Levar Sims was arrested and placed in Matagorda County Jail in Bay City, Texas, on August 5, 2022. The custodial death report (CDR) about Mr. Sims shows that, during the 5 hours he was an inmate, he received medical treatment for the medical condition that caused his death. The CDR also states that the “deceased developed condition after admission.”

Challenges of County and Municipal Jail Classification Systems

In prison, classifications of prisoners are simplified by the fact that the individuals are all offenders who have been sentenced for committing specific crimes. The populations in local jails are far more diverse and include:

• Suspects who are currently being investigated but haven’t been charged with a crime
• Individuals who have been charged and are awaiting trial
• Inmates who have been convicted of a crime and are awaiting sentencing
• Prisoners who have been sentenced to jail terms of less than 1 year and 1 day
• Offenders who are believed to have violated parole conditions or parole
• People with detainers in another jurisdiction but no charges in the city or county where he or she is held
• Sentenced offenders waiting for transfer to overcrowded state prisons
• Juveniles who are waiting to be transferred to juvenile correctional facilities

Other complications exist, as well, such as short lengths of stay. This includes the many inmates who are released from jail within 72 hours of their arrival.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this ongoing series.

Helping inmates in Texas who have been detained in a municipal or county jail is the purpose of this website. Accusing persons or entities of misdeeds is never an intention on this site.

–Guest Contributor