TCJS Cites Wilson County Jail for Another Standards Violation

iStock 157569394 1 — Inside The Old Idaho State Penitentiary

Wilson County Jail is now included with other non-compliant jails on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website. TCJS sent the Floresville, Texas, jail a notice of non-compliance on November 20, 2024, the same day that the jail’s inspection report was issued. Wilson County Jail is cited for three alleged violations of minimum jail standards, and two of them are shown in a report from the previous month. The inspector’s notes are the same on the October 2024 and November 2024 reports. Corrective action is required upon receipt of non-compliance notices.

The inspectors’ notes on the added violation follow, and they provide clarification:

After the comprehensive inspection of Wilson County Jail, it was later discovered that the jail had failed to complete a Quarterly Fire Hazard Inspection Checklist for the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2024.

The address of the Wilson County Jail is 800 10th Street, Floresville, Texas 78114. The inmate capacity is 160.

An Inmate of Wilson County Jail Died of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

A 43-year-old man was an inmate at Wilson County Jail for 21 hours when he died on November 7, 2022. He had been placed in a detox cell because he appeared to be intoxicated during intake, and the CDR also says a medical watch form was initiated. The summary of how the death occurred shows that he was seen to be blue in the face on the house camera system in his 20th hour at the jail and was pronounced deceased less than an hour later, when resuscitative efforts were unsuccessful.

The CDR related to the man’s death was due in December of 2022, but it was not filed with the Attorney General of Texas until June of 2024, more than 18 months late. The results of the autopsy had been completed. The Medical Examiner said the death was natural, and that the medical cause of death was “alcohol withdrawal syndrome due to chronic ethanolism.”

What is Ethanolism and What are the Signs and Symptoms?

Ethanolism is an alcohol use disorder sometimes characterized as “alcoholism.” Individuals with this disorder have difficulty controlling their alcohol consumption. Ethanolism involves having to drink more to feel the effects of alcohol and having alcohol withdrawal symptoms when consumption is stopped or rapidly decreased.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include agitation, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, rapid heartbeat, difficulty sleeping, hand tremors, hallucinations, anxiety, and, occasionally, seizures.

Jails have a responsibility to monitor the condition of any inmate at risk for withdrawal symptoms. Inmates in medical distress have a right to receive medical treatment.

Seeking Help for Jail Negligence Cases?

Studies reveal that almost 70% of inmates in local U.S. jails with chronic health conditions do not receive adequate medical care—a troubling reality. If you have experienced severe injuries due to jail medical neglect or abuse, or if you have lost a loved one because of neglect while they were incarcerated, we urge you to reach out. The Law Offices of Dean Malone has years of experience with custodial death cases, including suicides.

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