TCJS Cites Oldham County Jail for Non-Compliance with Minimum Standards

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website currently lists Oldham County Jail for non-compliance. Following an inspection, a jail inspection report was issued on March 19, 2025. Subsequently, a notice of non-compliance was sent to the Vega, Texas, jail on April 3, 2025. TCJS inspectors discovered that Oldham County Jail was in violation of one minimum jail standard.

The following information about Oldham County Jail’s non-compliance is derived from TCJS inspectors’ notes:

Suicide prevention training records were reviewed, and it was determined that not all jail staff have completed training in accordance with the facility-approved operational plan. The plan states that jail staff will receive 4 hours of training annually. Three (3) jailers did not receive training during CY23, two (2) jailers did not receive training during CY24, and two (2) jailers did not receive training during CY23 and CY24.

Oldham County Jail’s address is 105 S Main Street, Vega, Texas 79092. The inmate capacity is 10.

Inmates in Local Jails are at a Heightened Risk for Suicide

Statistics on inmate deaths by suicide show that the risk is much greater in municipal and county jails as compared with prisons. An in-depth study in a 2021 report showed that 50% of the total number of suicides in all U.S. correctional facilities occurred in local jails in 2019. That year, 355 jail detainees died by suicide, and most of them hadn’t been adjudicated.

Preventing self-harm in acts such as suicide is among the obligations of jails. Suicide prevention training is a standard requirement for all jail staff members. If inmates are potentially suicidal, there is a clear duty to take appropriate steps. When these core responsibilities are neglected and preventable suicides occur, jails can be held accountable. Families are urged to seek legal help without delay if they suspect their loved one may have died from a jail suicide that could and should have been prevented.

Families Seek Justice for Jail Suicides

Kacey D. Horn died by suicide at the age of 28 on March 1, 2022. She was an inmate at the Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren Regional Jail when she took her own life. Ms. Horn’s mother, Brandi Funkhouser, sought justice on her daughter’s behalf. Ms. Horn had made previous attempts to harm herself at the facility. Allegedly, the jail failed to ensure proper monitoring, care, and evaluation upon her return to the jail. The Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren Regional Jail is located at 6601 Winchester Road, Front Royal, VA 22630.

Donald John Anderson was 53 when he was booked into the Kent County Correctional Facility on February 21, 2021. Mr. Anderson had a history of serious psychiatric treatments and needs, including suicidal ideation. The jail allegedly failed in their responsibility to prevent self-harm, his mother alleges, because, tragically, he died by suicide on March 3, 2021. The address of Kent County Correctional Facility is 703 Ball Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Looking for Legal Support in a Jail Negligence Case?

Reports reveal that nearly 70% of individuals in local U.S. jails living with chronic health issues do not receive the medical attention they need—a deeply concerning reality. If your loved one passed away while in custody and you suspect abuse or medical neglect played a role, it’s important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible.

At the Law Offices of Dean Malone, our legal team is dedicated to cases involving deaths in custody. We bring years of focused experience to matters involving jail-related medical neglect, suicides, and mistreatment.

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