Webb County, Texas Jail Fails to Comply with Standards

The Webb County Jail, in Laredo, Texas, failed to comply with Texas Commission of Jail Standards (TCJS) minimum standards.

The Webb County Jail was thus listed as being non-compliant by the TCJS at its website.

The TCJS inspector found, when reviewing videos submitted by the Webb County, Texas Jail after a custodial death, that observation rounds were not conducted in accordance with minimum jail standards. There is no excuse for not conducting appropriate observation rounds. Inmates, by the nature of incarceration, cannot obtain medical and/or other care for themselves. They rely on jailers. Thus, jailers must make periodic observations to assure that inmates are not in medical or serious mental health distress. One cannot determine from the TCJS report for the Webb County Jail whether the failure to make observation rounds led to the death. Regardless, hopefully, the Webb County Jail has cured its deficiencies and will avoid the potential for serious injury or death.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.