Polk County Jail is Cited by TCJS for Non-Compliance
After an annual jail inspection at Polk County Jail on May 20, 2024, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) sent the Burnet, Texas, jail a notice of non-compliance. TCJS inspectors found that Polk County Jail violated three minimum jail standards. Two of the standards violated involved supervision. Inmates in restraints are supposed to be observed face-to-face every 15 minutes, but the observations exceeded the quarter-hour requirement by 20 to 45 minutes. In addition, a TCJS inspector discovered in staffing records that the minimum standard of 1 jailer to 48 detainees was unmet.
The address of Polk County Jail is 1601 East Polk Street in Burnet, Texas 78611. Polk County Jail has an inmate capacity of 587.
How Might Breaches in Supervision Harm Detainees?
It’s easy to conclude that the supervision of detainees in jails is a critical issue. All that’s needed is to consider the many minimum jail standards requiring the strict supervision of inmates. In recent months and years, after several Texas jail deaths and follow-up jail inspections occurred, it was discovered that some of the deceased inmates had not been observed as required in the hours leading up to their deaths. The following is an example:
- A special jail inspection at Moore County Jail in Dumas, Texas, revealed that before the 2022 custodial death of an inmate occurred, the deceased had not been observed on multiple occasions over several hours before his death. He had been in a holding cell, where observations were required in increments not to exceed every 30 minutes.
Supervision and Jail Suicides
Suicide is a critical issue for county and municipal jails because it is the leading cause of death among inmates. One of the questions to be determined as detainees are booked into a jail is whether he or she is suicidal. The first two weeks in jail are known to be the timeframe in which most suicides take place. However, due to the nature of the jail environment, jailers are trained to remember that all detainees are at risk for a suicide attempt at any given time.
Supervision is recognized as the most effective deterrent to suicide. So, when jails fail to provide required supervision, it is a cause for concern. The following happened in 2023:
- After a custodial suicide occurred in one of the largest Texas county jails, it was discovered that the deceased had been unobserved for 88 minutes before being discovered hanging. Altogether, he had been in the jail for less than 5 hours when he was pronounced deceased.
Has a Loved One Died in Jail and You Suspect Jail Medical Neglect?
Don’t hesitate to call the Law Offices of Dean Malone if you suspect that a loved one who was in the custody of a Texas jail died due to jail neglect. In jail death cases, it helps to begin investigations as soon as possible. Our team dedicated to jail death cases is working on several tragic deaths now that involve possible jail neglect. We might also be able to help if you were formerly detained in a local Texas jail and suffered life-altering injuries. Contact us today for your free case review. We are available 24/7, whether you want to reach out via phone, text, or our online form.
smchugh
smchugh