Guidelines for the Use of Restraints Continued

The standards of procedure for using restraints on county and municipal jail inmates in a county outside Texas continue below.

• Restraints shall not be applied around an individual’s neck or head or in a manner that inflicts pain, causes undue physical discomfort, or restricts breathing or blood circulation.
• To prevent unnecessary injury, metal leg and hand restraints will be double-locked at the time of application.
• If an inmate who has just arrived at the jail behaves in an irrational, uncooperative, or bizarre manner, he or she must be placed in hand restraints. The final decision as to when they are to be removed shall be made by the booking supervisor.
• When restraints to the hands and feet are connected, they must only be applied in front and never behind the inmate.
• When safety allows, handcuffs on individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) because they are hard of hearing or deaf must be applied to the front so that they can communicate using ASL or writing.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. The next segment will include specifics regarding the use of restraint chairs.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has approved the use of restraint chairs. However, in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), details about their use are only made distinctive from other types of restraint in the guidelines for juvenile detention facilities.

Inmates in county and municipal Texas jails can find helpful resources on this website. There is no intention on this site of implicating organizations or individuals in acts of wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor