Police Shooting Attorney – Yoakum County Jail in Plains, Texas, is Cited for 10 Alleged Violations of Jail Standards

Yoakum County Jail in Plains, Texas, was inspected by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and allegedly had 10 violations, according to the Jail Inspection Report. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and individual county jails have a responsibility to ensure the safety of inmates and jail staff members. When county jails aren’t compliant, it’s an indication that safety procedures may not be in place. In Texas and other regions of the country, county jails are often sued when a custodial death occurs. For example, frequent observation of at-risk inmates is a strategy for preventing jail suicides. If it is determined that jail staff members fail to follow procedures and check on inmates at prescribed intervals, an assumption is that inmates could be endangered as a result. At Yoakum County Jail, it is alleged that facility personnel failed to check inmates confined in the detoxification or holding cell at required intervals. On numerous occasions, staff members allegedly waited between 10 and 14 minutes longer than the maximum time frame of 30 minutes before checking on the inmates.

The following are some of the other alleged violations Yoakum County Jail was cited for by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards:

• There was no documentation to show that procedures for testing emergency power equipment were followed in accordance with standards.
• All of the safety equipment is required to be inspected, tested, and maintained by qualified persons, such as a vendor or private or state agency. This is to ensure that equipment works properly. The jail inspection allegedly found that a fire-related system did not work as designed. The jail was placed on 15-minute fire watches.
• The intercoms and door controls at Yoakum County Jail allegedly do not work on emergency power, as required, in order to permit inmates to be moved in an orderly manner from areas where fire incidents may occur.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

Written By: smchugh

smchugh