Shackelford County Jail is in Albany, Texas 76430 at 791 US-180. The inmate capacity is 27, and the jail’s contact phone number is (325) 762-9500. The Shackelford County Sheriff runs the Shackelford County Jail according to Texas minimum jail standards, which are determined and enforced by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). During annual inspections of all Texas city and county jails, TCJS inspectors check the documentation and other evidence of possible non-compliance. When needed, heightened oversight is provided to bring jails up to code.

Restraint Chairs

TCJS has approved various types of mechanical restraint devices that can be used to prevent an agitated or violent inmate from harming himself or others. Restraint chairs are among the approved devices, though they are controversial. Watchdog groups have revealed that in jails across the U.S., disturbing acts of abuse and custodial deaths have occurred in association with inmates being placed in a restraint chair.

Inmates are vulnerable in restraint chairs because they are strapped by their ankles and wrists, at the least. Sometimes the chest is also restrained, as well as the thighs or even a person’s head. A good way to grasp the potential dangers of restraint chairs is by considering the warnings provided by manufacturers of restraint chairs. The following are some examples:

• To prevent injury, handcuffs and leg irons must be removed as soon as possible.
• Straps and belts may need to be loosened to ensure adequate blood circulation.
• Do not use the strap around the chest, neck, or head.
• Never use a restraint chair for punishment.
• Using the chair without reading and comprehending the instructions can lead to serious injury or death.

Posts on this website are meant to help prisoners whose civil rights may have been violated during detention in a city or county Texas jail. There is never an intent to indicate that a person or institution has been involved in misdeeds of any kind.

–Guest Contributor