Two Jailers in El Paso County, Texas, were Arrested in Connection with the Custodial Death of Roberto Gallegos
Two jailers from the El Paso County Jail in El Paso, Texas, have been arrested in connection with the custodial death of prisoner Roberto Gallegos. The 58-year-old man died while in isolation on September 16, 2017. Gallegos had health problems and was supposed to be checked every 30 minutes. As is standard following a custodial death, a special inspection was done of the jail by Texas Rangers and the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. It was discovered that the jail allegedly failed to meet health service and supervision requirements. The reason the two detention officers were arrested, according to Sheriff Richard Wiles, was that they allegedly altered jail records to reflect documented checks that they didn’t make. Both jailers are now free on bond and face pre-termination hearings.
The primary purpose of jail standards is to ensure the safety of prisoners and the jail staff. It is routine for jailers to make rounds in specific, required intervals for the purpose of checking on the welfare of prisoners. When individuals are considered to be at risk for some reason, they are checked on more frequently than other prisoners. The people in custody also have a right to receive needed medical attention.
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