Rains County, Texas Jail Fails Inspection for the Fourth Year in a Row
A notice of non-compliance was issued to Rains County Jail on January 31, 2025, and the Emory, Texas, jail is listed on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website with other jails currently in violation of minimum jail standards. This is the fourth year in a row that Rains County Jail has failed their annual jail inspection.
After the most recent jail inspection at Rains County Jail was completed, a jail inspection report was issued on January 28, 2025, with details about five areas of non-compliance.
Besides failing to schedule a quarterly fire hazard inspection of the facility, it was discovered that weekly tests of facility generators have not been conducted as mandated.
The other violations are types that can have direct and devastating impacts on individuals detained in Rains County Jail. The following is information provided by TCJS inspectors about these violations:
- Medication administration records (MAR) fail to show that the distribution of medications is occurring in accordance with physicians’ written instructions and by an appropriate person designated by the sheriff/jail operator.
- Rains County Jail failed to include all medical information. In particular, missing information includes specifics about prescription medication and known illness on the Texas Uniform Health Status Update form when a detainee was transferred to TDCJ.
- There was no documentation to show that staff was provided with the required suicide prevention training in accordance with the facilities’ approved operational plan.
An Inmate Died After He Was Denied His Necessary Medication
Detainees in jails have virtually no control over what happens while they are incarcerated. Although they have a right to receive their medication and to be protected from self-harm, they are not in a position to take actions on their own behalf if they are deprived of fundamental rights such as these.
Tragically, inmates have been helpless to access medications that were provided to the jail facilities where they are being held. News stories usually tell such devastating tales about inmates who have died after being denied needed medication. The following is an example:
- Fifty-four-year-old Dexter Barry repeatedly informed jail staff that he needed to take his anti-rejection medication every day to survive. Despite this, he was denied heart transplant medication while incarcerated in a Jacksonville, Florida jail. Mr. Barry died on November 23, 2022, shortly after being released from the jail. An autopsy ordered by the family revealed that he died of a cardiac arrest due to his body rejecting the organ. A specialist explained that restarting the essential medication will not reverse the damage done by missing earlier doses.
Experienced Legal Support for Jail Medical Neglect Cases
If you believe the passing of a family member in a Texas jail was the result of medical negligence, abuse, or jail neglect, securing experienced legal representation is essential. At the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. our dedication to advocating for families, particularly in cases involving wrongful deaths in custody, is tireless. Our legal team has extensive experience handling the complexities of these sensitive matters.
We offer free case evaluations and are available 24/7. Contact us anytime by phone, text, or our online form.
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