Van Zandt County Jail is Cited for Violating a Life Safety Training Rule

Front of Jail Cell

A special jail inspection of Van Zandt County Jail on July 30, 2025, was followed by a citation issued to the Canton, Texas, jail for failing to comply with one minimum standard. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) now lists Van Zandt County Jail on its website with other non-compliant jails. TCJS sent a notice of non-compliance to the jail on July 31.

There is a typo on the non-compliance notice. The rule number is cited incorrectly as 273.6(3), but the content can be identified as Rule §263.41-Training and Drills under Chapter 263-Life Safety Rules and Subchapter D-Plans and Drills for Emergencies. The following is information from the TCJS inspector who discovered the violation:

When records were reviewed for Van Zandt County Jail, it was discovered that the quarterly life safety training for the 4th quarter of 2024 had not been completed by three jail staff members assigned to the “A-Day Shift.”

The address of Van Zandt County Jail is 1220 W Dallas St, Canton, TX 75103. The jail has an inmate capacity of 196.

Van Zandt County Jail Violates Rules Requiring Proper Supervision of Inmates

Jails aren’t places that should be lax about minimum jail standards since inmates’ lives are at stake. The statistics for jail suicides are alarming, yet simply providing supervision is the most effective deterrent for suicide.

Tragically, an inmate died by suicide in Van Zandt County Jail and was pronounced deceased at 10:24 a.m. on October 14, 2021. The 38-year-old detainee had entered the jail just two days earlier at 5:12 p.m.

Van Zandt County Jail violated supervision requirements three years in a row, from 2021-2023. After the March 29, 2023, inspection, Van Zandt County Jail was cited for violating two different standards related to the proper supervision of detainees. The rules and the TCJS inspector’s notes are summed up below.

Inmates in holding cells and detoxification cells must be observed in intervals that don’t exceed 30 minutes. At-risk inmates are in these cells. For instance, inmates are often placed in holding cells for up to 48 hours after being booked. The first 24 hours are when approximately 24% of jail suicides occur. The TCJS inspector found that staff exceeded the 30-minute observation requirement on a routine basis.
When inmates are in a restraint chair, they must be checked face-to-face every 15 minutes. Restraint chairs are controversial, and it is not unusual for inmate deaths to occur when restrained in one. The TCJS inspector found in 2023 that on multiple occasions, restraint chair observation checks exceeded the 15-minute time frame by 1 to 5 minutes.

Skilled Legal Support for Jail Neglect Cases in Texas

If you or a loved one has been harmed by neglect in a Texas jail, having experienced legal representation on your side is crucial. At the Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., we are committed to helping families who have lost someone in custody due to neglect, abuse, or suicide. We also represent former inmates who continue to suffer from serious injuries caused by poor medical care or mistreatment while incarcerated.

Reach out today for a free consultation—call, text, or connect with us through our secure online form.

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