Wilson County Jail Fails to Comply with Restraint Requirements
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website currently includes Wilson County Jail in its list of non-compliant jails. A jail inspection report was issued to the Floresville, Texas, jail on October 9, 2024, followed by a notice of non-compliance on October 14, 2024. Inspectors with TCJS found that Wilson County Jail violated two minimum jail standards. One is related to emergency fire drill training for jail staff. The other is a mandate to conduct documented observations of inmates in restraints every 15 minutes; the inspectors’ notes about restraints follow.
- The inspector discovered that restraint observations entered in the restraint logs were being conducted over the 15-minute time requirement by 1 minute up to 15 minutes.
Wilson County Jail’s address is 800 10th Street, Floresville, Texas 78114. The jail’s bed capacity is 160.
Why Observation Checks in Jails Are Important
Face-to-face observation checks in municipal and county jails are required at different intervals and for different reasons. These are crucial activities because supervision is at the heart of observations. Lives are saved when jails ensure that inmates are properly supervised. For instance, detainees are protected from inmate-on-inmate violence when jailers check on them as required. Suicide is the leading cause of death in jails, and supervision is the best deterrent.
The purpose of checking on inmates every 15 minutes maximum when they are in restraints is partly to protect them from physical injury. Blood circulation is to be checked every quarter of an hour, and medical care must be provided every 2 hours.
A problem that is often exposed in the news is that detainees sometimes have difficulty breathing and can become unresponsive after they have been in a strenuous struggle prior to being placed in restraints. Frequent checks on detainees ensure that a detainee in medical distress can more likely than not get the lifesaving help they require.
Do Jail Inmates Usually Get Medical Attention When Needed?
Many news stories have come to light through the years that place doubt on the question of inmates receiving timely medical care when they are in great distress. After an inmate dies because they were ignored as they suffered medical distress, jail staff will often express that it is reasonable to consider that inmates are only seeking attention when they cry out for help. When medical neglect is suspected in association with a custodial death, it is important to act quickly so that investigations can more successfully discover the facts about what happened.
Is Help Available for Jail Negligence Cases?
A recent study shows that nearly 70% of inmates in local U.S. jails with chronic health conditions are denied proper medical care—a startling statistic. If you’ve suffered life-changing injuries due to jail medical neglect or abuse, or if you’ve lost a loved one to neglect while they were incarcerated, we encourage you to contact us promptly. The Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C. has a team focused on custodial death cases, with extensive experience in cases related to jail abuse and medical neglect.
Reach out to us today for a free consultation. We’re available 24/7—call, text, or connect with us through our online form.
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