Due to a failure to meet 8 minimum jail standards, Red River County Jail in Texas has been listed as a Non Compliant Jail by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website. Michael Gravitt, TCJS Inspector, signed off on the comprehensive jail inspection report. The inspection took place on February 23, 2023.

The address of Red River County Jail is 2001 TX-16 A, Red River, TX 78643.

§263.41-Training and Drills

Under §263.41-Training and Drills in the chapter on Life Safety Rules, immediately upon employment, staff will be provided with emergency situations training. Jail staff shall receive the training no less than each calendar quarter, including evacuation drills, emergency, fire, and the location and use of equipment.

• The records were reviewed and it shows that multiple members of the jail staff were not provided with required life safety training during the fourth quarter of 2022.

§263.42-Fire Prevention Plan

Under §263.42-Fire Prevention Plan, the jail shall be inspected by a local fire official annually who is certified by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or who meets the alternative criteria given in Government Code 419.909 and will pass the inspection.

• The jail was last inspected January 22, 2022, making the annual inspection one month overdue.

§265.3-Observation During Holding

Under this rule, which is in the chapter on Admission, inmates who are confined in a detoxification cell or holding cell shall be observed by jailers at intervals not to exceed every 30 minutes.

• Observation logs were reviewed and it was discovered that inmate observations in detoxification and holding cells routinely exceeded the 30-minute period required.

§265.13(C)-Verify Veteran Status

Specific procedures are in place which must be followed to verify veteran status under rule §265.13(C). The part that Red River County Jail was non-compliant in states that each sheriff will keep a log of positive VRSS returns with the identifying inmate number and whether a referral card was issued to the veteran before his or her release. If a referral card wasn’t issued, the log should include a reason.

• For the two preceding months, a log of positive VRSS returns with identifying inmate number and whether a card of referral was issued to the identified veteran prior to his or her release has not been maintained.

§273.5(a)(1)-Training

Under the chapter on Health Services, Rule 273.5 pertains to Mental Disabilities/Suicide Prevention Plan. Under rule §273.5(a)(1)-Training, members of the jail staff must be provided with training on how to recognize, supervise, document, and handle inmates with mental disabilities or who are potentially suicidal. The staff members who handle intake screening should be provided with supplemental training.

• Suicide training was reviewed and it was revealed that multiple staff members did not complete at least 4 hours of suicide training in accordance with the approved operational plan.

§273.5(a)(2)-Identification

Under identification in §273.5(a)(2), procedures for intake screening for the purpose of identifying inmates who are known to be or are observed to be potentially suicidal or mentally disabled and procedures for compliance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 16.22 and referrals are made to available mental health officials.

• It was found that on multiple occasions jail staff did not notify the magistrate within 12 hours as required by minimum jails standards, which is to say in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure Article 16.22 when warranted by positive returns on the CCQ or affirmative answers on the Screening Form for Suicide and Medical/Mental/Developmental Impairments.

§273.5(b)-Screening Instrument

During intake, an approved mental disabilities/suicide prevention screening instrument shall be completed immediately on each inmate who is admitted.

• While the medical files were reviewed, it was determined that jail staff are not filling out the Screening Form for Suicide and Medical/Mental/Developmental Impairments in its entirety.

§273.6(3)-Restraints

Under restraints in the chapter on Health Services, jails are required to document observations of the inmate in restraints every 15 minutes. The observations should include an assessment of the circulation to the extremities and the security of the restraints.

• It was discovered during a review of observation logs that documented 15-minute observations of an inmate who was restrained in a restraint chair were not conducted.