Texas Commission on Jail Standards Rule §273.6-Restraints

There seems to be ample cause for concern when considering that inmates in county and municipal jails in Texas could potentially remain in a restraint chair for as long as 24 hours. Minimum jail standards do also require frequent observation, at least every 15 minutes. Also, every 2 hours, a qualified person in the medical field must provide the inmate with an opportunity to exercise his or her extremities, use the restroom, and partake of nourishment and drink. Also, vital signs must be taken and the potential need for medication must be checked.

All that being said, there is still a maximum of 24 hours in which adult inmates in Texas may be restrained with straps in a restraint chair.

Restraint Chair Manufacturer Instructions

Among the common manufacturers’ instructions for restraint chairs is a warning that 2 hours is the maximum time in which a detainee must be held in a restraint chair. There are exceptions that manufacturers state, and they extend the maximum time in a restraint chair to 10 hours total and no longer than that. It is also added that beyond the initial 2-hour time limit, the detainee must be under the direct medical supervision of a doctor or nurse.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5 of this ongoing series.

This website is intended as a resource for inmates in Texas detained in county or city jails. There is never an intention on this site to make allegations against people or institutions.

–Guest Contributor