Wood County Jail has been added to the list of non-compliant jails on the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) website. In a jail inspection report dated January 10, 2023, Chris Keith, TCJS Complaints Inspector cited the Quitman, Texas, jail for an alleged violation under Chapter 273-Health Services. The address of Wood County Jail is 402 S Stephens St, Quitman, TX 75783.

Wood County Jail is Cited for Alleged Non-Compliance with Section §273.2 – Health Services Plan

Section §273.2 of the Texas Administrative Code, which applies to all Texas county and municipal jails, states that jails must establish and implement a written health services plan addressing specifics of providing mental, medical, and dental services. TCJS must approve this plan.

Each facility shall have and implement a written plan, approved by the Commission, for inmate medical, mental, and dental services.

Rule §273.2(7) mandates that jails must establish and follow procedures for distributing prescriptions according to physicians’ instructions. The person dispensing the prescriptions must be an appropriate individual designated by the jail operator, which is typically the county sheriff.

• The TCJS Complaints Inspector was reviewing complaints that had been submitted when it was discovered that Wood County Jail was non-compliant with rule §273.2(7). He noted that a nurse at the jail had failed to pack medication properly, which had resulted in an inmate not receiving prescribed medication. One inmate, it was discovered, was administered improper medication, which resulted in the inmate being transported for medical care at a nearby hospital.

Incarceration does not mean that a person can be denied needed medical services, including access to prescribed medications. Proper handling of prescription medicine can be essential to the health and well-being of inmates.