The Maverick County Jail in Eagle Pass, Texas, failed a special jail inspection conducted by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS), per a September 27, 2022, letter issued by TCJS Executive Director Brandon S. Wood. The Honorable David Saucedo, Maverick County Judge, and Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber were both notified. Maverick County Jail’s address is 742 TX-131, Eagle Pass, TX 78852. Maverick County Jail is now listed on the TCJS website as a Non-Compliant Jail.

The TCJS inspector made notes regarding non-compliance under §275-Supervision of Inmates.  Subsequently, TCJS cited Maverick County Jail for non-compliance with §275.4-Staff. Technical assistance was provided in several other areas of deficiency.

Under §271-Classification, 12 randomly selected inmate files were reviewed, and technical assistance was provided for a deficiency. The inspector found that three inmates were misclassified but housed correctly. Jail administration was advised and corrected the errors. The inspector recommended that all officers responsible for classifying inmates should be retrained in objective classification. For follow-up, jail administration, on Friday every week for the next 30 to 90 days, will submit random classifications of newly admitted inmates.

While investigating compliance with §273-Health Services, the inspector reviewed a random selection of 12 files. It was discovered during the review that the suicide/IDD screening, magistrate notification, and CCQ were being kept in the booking file without being securely separated. The inspector recommended either placing the documents in an envelope within the booking file or keeping them separate in the corresponding medical file. While the inspector was still on site, jail administration remedied the issue.

While checking on compliance with §275-Supervision, the inspector reviewed a random selection of 20 officer TCOLE certification records and reviewed officer documentation. The inspector found that the facility was not maintaining the 1:48 officer-to-inmate ratio as required by minimum jail standards. This had been going on for about three weeks. Jail administration advised that they are awaiting responses from TCOLE to maintain the required staffing level. It was recommended to jail administration that the use of jail-certified field deputies could be a viable solution until the positions are filled by certified jailers. In addition, a reduction in inmates would also help to meet the required ratio. The required follow-up is for jail administration to submit a plan of action for meeting the 1:48 ratio as well as a projected timeline for completion. The inspector’s notes indicate that only four officers were utilized on the night shift to supervise 193 or more inmates for approximately 3 weeks.

Providing supervision according to minimum jail standards is crucial to help ensure the safety of inmates.