Stephens County Jail is in Breckenridge, Texas 76424 at 210 E Dyer Street #3554. The jail has an inmate capacity of 54, and the contact phone number is (254) 559-2705. The Stephens County Sheriff is responsible for jail operations at Stephens County Jail. Minimum jail standards are set forth by the  Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS).

Every year, Stephens County Jail and all county jails in Texas are inspected by inspectors with TCJS. When there has been non-compliance, a jail is subjected to increased oversight, including at least one follow-up inspection.

Restraint Chairs

When an inmate in a county jail is behaving in a manner that threatens their own safety or the safety of others, a restraint device can be used to gain control of the individual. Minimum jail standards specify that the least restrictive device appropriate to a certain situation must be used in every case. In extreme cases, restraint chairs are used.

A restraint chair has locking mechanisms for the purpose of restricting an inmate’s wrists, ankles, torso, and lap. It is a vulnerable position to be in, and watchdog groups have discovered that many jailers across the nation have taken advantage of that vulnerability. According to an investigative report on county jails, the following actions are not uncommon, though they are violations of minimum jail standards:

• Inmates are sometimes pepper-sprayed while in a restraint chair, though, obviously, they are no longer a threat to themselves or others.
• It is essential for individuals in a restraint device to be observed face-to-face frequently–usually every 15 minutes. Yet, records indicate in many county jails that these observations are not conducted as required.

The purpose of this site’s posts is to assist Texas prisoners detained in county jails. It is never intended to infer that entities or individuals have been involved in improprieties.  

–Guest Contributor