A watchdog group in the US reported in February 2020 that restraint chairs are linked to 20 inmate deaths in county jails since 2014. An earlier report also revealed that since restraint chairs have been used in the late 1990s, there have been more than three dozen deaths in county jails linked to restraint chairs.

A person’s legs, arms, and torso are secured with the person being held in an upright position using belts and straps on a restraint chair. Although these restraint devices are meant to be used for individuals who are out of control and pose imminent harm to themselves or others, research suggests that jailers sometimes use a restraint chair as a first response when an inmate demonstrates non-physical resistance. For example, an inmate in a state outside Texas was placed in a restraint chair after he simply complained that he was denied a phone call after learning that a family member died.

Although restraint chairs are believed to be beneficial in certain circumstances, using the chair for extended periods of time has resulted in, for instance, blood clots that led to death.

Research also revealed that at least nine lawsuits have been filed since 2013 alleging that inmates were tasered, beaten, or pepper-sprayed while they were strapped in a restraint chair. Another abusive type of allegation indicates that some inmates who had failed in an attempt to commit suicide were placed in a restraint chair with their genitals exposed for passers-by to see.

See this ongoing series with more information about abuses involving restraint chairs in county jails as well as specifics on non-compliance in Texas jails involving restraint chairs.

All posts on this website are provided as informational resources for current and former inmates and their families. At no time is there intent to infer impropriety of any sort has occurred on the part of a person or institution.

–Guest Contributor