Sherman County Jail in Stratford, Texas Fails State Inspection – Listed as Non-Compliant

The Sherman County jail, in Stratford, Texas, failed an inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”), on September 23, 2020.  The Sherman County, Texas jail is now listed as being non-compliant by the TCJS.  

TCJS inspectors found that the Sherman County, Texas jail violated a minimum jail standard requiring inmates confined in a holding cell or a detoxification cell to be observed by facility personnel at intervals not to exceed 30 minutes.  The inspectors noted that, after reviewing observation logs of inmates in holding/detox cells, jail staff were not conducting 30-minute face-to-face observations of inmates on a regular basis.

TCJS inspectors also determined that inmates were not receiving required physical exercise, as mandated by Texas minimum jail standards.  Inmates are also not receiving access to sunlight at least one hour each week, as required by minimum jail standards, and human decency.  Hopefully, the Sherman County, Texas jail will bring itself into compliance with Texas minimum jail standards. 

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.