Swisher County, Texas Jail Fails Inspection

The Swisher County jail, in Tulia, Texas, failed an inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”). The Swisher County jail is now listed as being non-compliant by TCJS. The inspection occurred on or about November 25, 2020.

The TCJS inspector noted that the Swisher County jail had not had a fire marshal inspection since September 26, 2018. This placed the inspection 14 months past-due.

Moreover, TCJS minimum standards require appropriate objective classification plan implementation for inmates. The TCJS inspector noted that there were four inmates in the Swisher County jail who were classified incorrectly. Moreover, one of the four inmates was past the 90-day reassessment period.

Finally, TCJS minimum standards require an internal audit annually of the prisoner classification system. The audit has to address four features of the objective classification system. However, the Swisher County jail had not completed a classification audit within the 12-month period ending at the time of the November, 2020 inspection. Hopefully, the Swisher County 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.