Red flags have been raised and protesters have gathered in a Texas county where the ninth custodial death in 2020 occurred at the county jail recently. Concerned individuals suggest that the sheriff should be required to give complete accountings of each of the in-custody deaths.

The cause of the latest death has not yet been determined, though it is under investigation. Among the other eight custodial deaths at the county jail this year, most have reportedly been the result of natural causes. The others have been suicides.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards and the Texas Rangers make inquiries and conduct investigations into all custodial deaths in Texas. Internal reviews of procedures are made, to determine whether records reflect and verify that standard procedures are being followed with regard to checking on inmates.

The deaths aren’t the only concerns people in the community have stressed. A detention officer was allegedly criminally charged after allegedly badly beating an inmate. There was also an occasion in which an inmate gave birth without the knowledge of the jail officers.

A county jail official shared the statistic that the percentage of the inmate population with developmental or mental health issues has jumped in recent times from about 25% to about 45%. The need for medical care among inmates has reportedly also increased.

If a jail is found to be grossly negligent in upholding its responsibilities to inmates, it can lose its state certification. If a jail has been found to have unconstitutional customs, policies, or practices that affect the inmates, the jail can be sued.

This post is an informational resource, and it is not intended to imply or suggest any misconduct or wrongdoing on the part of a person or institution in this or any other post on the site.

–Guest Contributor