Texas County Jails are Cited for Noncompliance Related to Restraint Chairs

Restraint chairs are controversial methods of restraint, and many U.S. jurisdictions have outlawed their use. In Texas, however, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has approved restraint chairs, which means that municipal and county jails can use them. There are minimum jail standards which apply to restraints, however. It is only in the juvenile detention portion of the Texas Administrative Code provides detailed information about using restraint chairs. In the portion of the code that applies to adults, restraint chairs guidelines are not distinguished from those for other restraints, such as handcuffs.

Even restraint chair manufacturers readily acknowledge that potential dangers are associated with using these immobilizing devices. Primary concerns include the risk that circulation to extremities will be hindered and the potential for developing blood clots, which can cause death.

Although using restraint chairs comes with risks, the results of annual jail inspections often show that precautions are not always followed.

The most common type of noncompliance related to restraint chairs involve adherence to observation requirements. An example occurred about a year ago when Victoria County Jail was cited for alleged noncompliance with Rule §273.6 (3) under guidelines for restraints. Learn more in this ongoing series.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, and Part 9.

Helping Texas inmates who have been detained in county and city jails in the state is the purpose of this website. Making insinuations that people or institutions have participated in misdeeds is never intended.

–Guest Contributor