Victoria County Jail is Found Non-Compliant After an Inmate’s Death
A special jail inspection was conducted at Victoria County Jail in Victoria, Texas, on April 8, 2024. Subsequently, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) sent the jail a notice of non-compliance. Victoria County Jail was cited for allegedly violating one minimum jail standard. The special inspection was scheduled as a follow-up to a custodial death. It was discovered during the review of the custodial death that the last face-to-face check conducted before the discovery of the inmate exceeded the 30-minute maximum between observations. Victoria County Jail’s address is 401 E Oak Street., Victoria, Texas 77901. The bed capacity at the Victoria jail is 532.
An Inmate at Victoria County Jail Hung Himself Within 1.5 hours
The custodial death that is likely referenced in the April 8, 2024, special jail inspection report sent to Victoria County Jail is one filed by the Victoria County Sheriff’s Department on March 7, 2024. About 1.5 hours after his arrival at the jail, a 41-year-old detainee was discovered hanging in his single cell.
The CDR describes what transpired after he was discovered, which includes the man being pronounced deceased by a physician on March 3, found alive on March 4 by the physician who was about to perform organ harvesting, placed in ICU with no ventilation or respiratory assistance on March 6, and pronounced deceased again on March 7, 2024.
Disturbing U.S. Jail Suicide Statistics
A watchdog group published an analysis of jail suicides in 2022 which says the problem has been an overlooked national crisis for years. Between 2000 and 2019, suicides were the leading cause of jail deaths. The total of suicides in that time was 6,217, and the number represents 30% of all deaths in local jails. The jail suicide rate in 2019 was more than twice that of the general public.
The analysis tells about a 25-year-old detainee in New York who was transferred back to a county jail after being in a psychiatric hospital. The jail placed him in the general population housing, and he immediately committed suicide.
Another example of an unnecessary loss of life occurred in California. A 35-year-old man had been in a “safety cell,” where he had been continuously checked on every 15 minutes. Although his known history included suicide attempts, he managed to drown himself shortly after being released from the safety cell.
Do You Need Help With a Jail Death Caused by Jail Neglect?
Do you have a loved one who died in a local jail in the U.S. and you believe the death resulted from jail medical neglect or some other jail neglect? Or were you formerly incarcerated and, while there, you suffered life-altering injuries due to neglect? The Law Offices of Dean Malone can help with both types of cases.
Contact us as soon as possible for a free case evaluation. It is helpful to promptly pursue cases of jail neglect as near as possible to the timeframe of the event in question. This is one of the many things our years of experience have taught us. Over time, we have coordinated a team to work on custodial death cases. Call, text, or fill out our online form today.
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