Brewster County Jail is located at 201 W Ave. E. Alpine, Texas 79830; and the phone number is (432) 837-5541. The jail has an inmate capacity of 56. The Brewster County Sheriff is in charge of the county jail, and the procedures and guidelines which must be followed are established and enforced by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS).

Mental Health / Suicide Prevention

Mental health has become a major issue for city and county jails in Texas and throughout the nation. Many individuals with mental disabilities end up being incarcerated, and law enforcement personnel are required to provide appropriate care. TCJS provides a jail standard specifically in regard to developing a plan for people with mental disabilities and suicidal tendencies. The following are examples of procedures which must be included in each plan at a Texas jail:

• Jail staff must be trained on the procedures for supervising, recognizing, documenting, and handling of detainees who are disabled mentally and/or may be suicidal.
• Jail staff involved in intake screening are required to have additional training due to the importance of properly screening inmates before placing them in a cell.
• Certain procedures should be established and followed as regards the identification of inmates who are observed or known to be mentally incapacitated or possibly suicidal.
• An important aspect of protecting the safety of inmates regards supervision. Mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal inmates require more frequent face-to-face checks.

This post and all posts on this website our meant as helpful resources for current and past inmates and their families, particularly if civil rights have or may have been violated. There is no intent to suggest that misconduct has occurred on the part of any government institution or individual.

–Guest Contributor