Texas Civil Rights Lawyer – The Bexar County Jail in San Antonio, Texas, is Cited for 2 Alleged Violations of Minimum Jail Standards Following the Escape of 3 Murder Suspects
Three murder suspects escaped Bexar county jail in San Antonio, Texas, on March 2, 2018. They were caught and returned to jail within about an hour. An ex-girlfriend of one of the escaped prisoners notified officials that she had just dropped them off at a drive-through restaurant on North Comal Street. The fact that the prisoners were able to escape the Bexar County Adult Detention Center has become a great concern. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that an exhaustive inspection of the jail, from top to bottom, is being implemented. A barricade has also been placed at the front of the jail, to divert traffic from driving in the front of the building. Following the escape, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) conducted an inspection and prepared a Special Inspection Report dated March 29, 2018. The report details two violations of minimum jail standards that allegedly occurred, both of which are related to the escape.
One jail standard that was allegedly violated involved the mandate that regular and irregular searches of entire facility are to be conducted in search of contraband, to be noted in a permanent facility report. Inspectors reviewed documents at Bexar County Jail and found that between April and August of 2017, there were no regular or irregular searches for contraband in Unit CC, which is the housing location from which the three prisoners escaped last month. Several non-jail issued lengths of handmade lines were located. The metal mesh surrounding the recreation area had been cut, which left a hole through which prisoners were able to throw the handmade lines to the ground outside the facility. The inspection also showed that a January 2018 contraband search occurred because information had been obtained regarding an escape plan.
The second jail standard allegedly violated involved physical exercise and recreation. Each prisoner is to be allowed one hour of supervised activity at least three days each week. The inspection allegedly found that documents did not permit an inspector to determine whether each prisoner had been able to participate in recreation. There is also insufficient visual observation, due to the location of the guard station and the fact that cameras do not provide complete coverage of the area, either.
One of the purposes of minimum jail standards is to prevent prisoners from escaping county jails and other facilities under the jurisdiction of TCJS.
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