Willacy County Jail Fails State Inspection

The Willacy County jail in Raymondville, Texas, recently failed an inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). The inspection occurred on April 19, 2022. The Willacy County jail is now listed as being non-compliant at the TCJS website. This is included in a short list of non-compliant jails across Texas.

The TCJS inspector determined that the Willacy County jail was last inspected by a local fire official on November 18, 2019. Thus, the inspection was overdue by 17 months. Even more troubling, at the time of the TCJS inspection, the fire panel was in “trouble mode.” Documentation indicated that the fire panel had not been inspected since December 1, 2020. This placed the fire panel inspection overdue by four months. As to other mechanical issues, documentation indicated that load tests had not been performed on the generator during the prior year.

TCJS regulations honor veterans and require jails to take certain actions when veterans are arrested. There is a system entitled Veterans Reentry Search Service (VRSS). The TCJS inspector determined that the Willacy County jail was not using the VRSS system, and no VRSS verifications had been completed in the prior 12 months.

As to health issues, the TCJS inspector determined that the Willacy County jail violated the tuberculosis screening plan. The jail was unable to provide documentation showing that either staff or volunteers had been tested for tuberculosis. This violated the Willacy County jail’s tuberculosis plan.

A number of the lawsuits we are handling for families across the state of Texas whose loved ones have died in jails arose as a result of jailers’ failure to properly observe, or in unfortunate situations jailers’ falsification of records regarding, inmates. With regard to the Willacy County jail, the TCJS inspector determined that, on numerous occasions, jail staff exceeded both the 30 minute and 60 minute face-to-face observations required by TCJS minimum standards. Failing to properly observe inmates can lead to serious injury or death. This is even more troubling, when combined with the TCJS inspector determination that there had been no contraband checks documented in the Willacy County jail during the prior 12 months. The Willacy County jail also was not completing documentation indicating that inmates had received at least an hour of supervised physical exercise or physical recreation at least three days each week.

Hopefully, the Willacy County jail’s deficiencies have not led to serious injury or death. Jail administration needs to bring the jail into compliance to avoid any such unfortunate situation.

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