Smith County Jail Inmate Tonya Williams Collapses and Dies
Fifty-seven-year-old Tonya Ann Williams entered Smith County Jail in Tyler, Texas, on April 4, 2024. Ms. Williams died 3 days later. The cause of her April 7, 2024, death is unknown and pending autopsy results from toxicology. The Smith County Sheriff’s Department filed a custodial death report (CDR) about Ms. Williams on April 19, 2024.
Ms. Williams exhibited medical health problems during the booking process. The CDR indicates that after her admission into the jail’s jurisdiction, she received treatment for the medical condition that caused her death. It also indicates, with no further specifics, that her death was the result of a pre-existing medical condition.
Smith County Jail’s address where Ms. Williams was incarcerated is 104 S. Spring St, Tyler, TX 75702. The bed capacity in Smith County is 1,065.
Smith County Jail was Cited for 12 Minimum Standards Violations From 2022 Through 2023
For each of the past five years, Smith County Jail has been cited for violations of minimum jail standards. In 2022 and 2023 alone, Smith County Jail received four non-compliance notices for a total of 12 alleged violations. When a jail fails to meet minimum standards, detainees are or potentially could be negatively affected.
TCJS inspects Texas county jails at least annually. Multiple inspections within a year might be prompted by detainee complaints, an inmate’s escape, a custodial death, or various other reasons.
Alarming Texas Jail Statistics Re Mentally Handicapped Detainees
In February news in Austin, protests linked to custodial deaths in Texas jails were brought to light. Each of the circumstances and death locations were explored, and one common denominator became clear. Among those represented in the protest, most of the people who died while in the custody of a Texas jail were experiencing a mental health crisis. Further, another study shows that more than 50% of the people who died in 2022 in jail custody had been identified as having a mental health problem at least once since the 1980s.
Another disturbing statistic demonstrates that, overwhelmingly, the number of detainees in Texas jails that need to be admitted to a state hospital outnumbers the psychiatric beds available. As of February 1, 2024, at least 1,947 individuals were on the waitlist. Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has been working for several years to expand the number of available beds.
Help for Jail Medical Neglect
Jails can be held responsible when a detainee dies due to jail neglect such as jail medical neglect. Getting help as quickly as possible is important because it could help to ensure that all pertinent facts are discoverable. It is beneficial to enlist help from attorneys with experience in the specific type of case for which you need representation. At the Law Offices of Dean Malone, we have dedicated ourselves to jail neglect cases for many years.
Contact us today if you believe that a loved one died of some type of jail neglect while incarcerated. We are available 24/7. Former detainees who have suffered life-altering injuries while in jail are also encouraged to call, text, or fill out our online form.
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