Shelby County Jail is Cited for 8 Minimum Standard Violations

Shelby County Jail in Center, Texas, is currently listed as a non-compliant jail on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website. A notice of non-compliance was sent on July 22, 2024, regarding the results of a jail inspection that took place on July 18, 2024. Shelby County Jail allegedly violated 8 minimum jail standards, according to TCJS inspectors. Shelby County Jail’s address is 100 Hurst Street, Center, TX 75935. The jail’s bed capacity is 66.

This is the second notice of non-compliance sent to Shelby County Jail in 2024. Following a February 26, 2024, special jail inspection, inspectors indicated the following:

Documentation and video TCJS received after a custodial death at the jail revealed that jailers did not view the inmate face-to-face as required, though the jailers did make observation rounds within the mandated timeframe.

The cause of death of the detainee whose death prompted the February inspection is still shown as unknown in the custodial death report that the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department filed.

Shelby County Jail Failed to Conduct Observation Checks Properly

After the July 2024 inspection of Shelby County Jail, TCJS inspectors discovered a repeat offense from earlier in the year—a violation with respect to the supervision of inmates. The inspectors’ notes indicate the following:

During the period of April 1, 2024, to April 30, 2024, there were multiple violations of the 30-minute requirement for observation checks of potentially suicidal and mentally ill detainees as well as those who have exhibited bizarre behavior. Observations were routinely late by 1 to 28 minutes.

Shelby County Jail has been cited by TCJS every year since and including 2019. They were also found non-compliant regarding the required times for making observation checks in 2023 and 2019.

A Suicide that Occurred in an Ohio Jail is Deemed a Wrongful Death

A 22-year-old detainee at Cook County Jail in Chicago, Illinois, entered the jail on June 1, 2021, and was there until October 31, 2021, the day he hanged himself and died. Since that time, a judge has ruled that the negligence of officers at the jail resulted in the young man’s death. Specifically, the observation checks had not been conducted as required.

Chicago’s Cook County Jail has often been the subject of criticism due to allegations of abuse, inadequate medical care, overcrowding, rodent infestations, and mold and rot in ceilings. In 2023, the mortality rate at the jail was double the national average, at a dismal 3.4 deaths per 1,000 inmates.

Round-the-Clock Assistance for Jail Death Cases

Jails have a responsibility to ensure the well-being of all detainees in their care. If you were incarcerated in a Texas jail and suffered life-changing injuries due to neglect, including medical neglect, reach out to Law Offices of Dean Malone. With extensive experience in protecting inmates’ rights, we are here to offer the legal support you might need. If you believe a loved one died in custody due to medical neglect or abuse, our team may be able to help.

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