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Wrongful Death, Neglect, and Abuse in Jail Lawyer/Attorney in Texas: Rusk County Jail

Rusk County Jail is in Henderson, Texas 75652 at 210 Charlevoix Street. The jail, which has a bed capacity of 292, can be contacted at the phone number (903) 657-3581. The Rusk County Sheriff has charge of Rusk County Jail operations. Texas jails are required to meet the standards provided by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Enforcement is largely achieved with annual jail inspections and increased oversight when jails are non-compliant.

Restraint Chairs

When people are restrained by police officers or jailers, their lives are sometimes endangered. In Texas jails, however, TCJS-approved restraints can be used to protect inmates from self-harm and to prevent injury of others.

Restraint chairs are among the approved mechanical devices for controlling the movements of an inmate. Yet, studies show that dozens of inmates have died after being placed in a restraint chair. These custodial deaths often occur because blood clots form due to inactivity and then move into the person’s lungs or heart. In these chairs, inmates are unable to move their arms, legs, and torso.

Medical care is provided to all inmates in restraint devices. Every two hours, whether in a restraint chair or a less restrictive type of restraint, inmates must be allowed to use restroom facilities, exercise their extremities, and drink fluids. Their vitals are checked, as well.

This site’s posts are purposed to help Texas inmates whose rights might have been violated while incarcerated. There is never an intention to imply wrongdoing on the part of a person or institution.

–Guest Contributor

author avatar
smchugh

Wrongful Death, Neglect, and Abuse in Jail Lawyer/Attorney in Texas: Runnels County Jail

Runnels County Jail is in Ballinger, Texas 76821 at 200 N Hickory Hill Rd. The jail can be contacted at the phone number (325) 365-2110. The Runnels County Sheriff handles operations at Runnels County Jail, which has a bed capacity of 87. Jails in Texas must adhere to specific standards of operation, as determined by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Non-compliance of a Texas jail instigates continued scrutiny until it is up to code.

Restraint Chairs

TCJS has included restraint chairs in the list of restraint devices approved for use in Texas jails. Restraint chairs have been associated with dozens of deaths in U.S. jails, according to various studies by watchdog groups. One of the reasons for deaths is that blood clots form due to inactivity. Blood clots are deadly when they enter a person’s lungs or heart.

Medical care is an integral part of the requirements for using a restraint chair in a Texas jail. For instance, a prisoner’s state of health must be assessed by a medical professional before he or she is placed in any type of restraint device. Also, every two hours, inmates in restraints must be allowed to go to a restroom facility, exercise their limbs, and drink fluids. In addition, their vitals must be taken during the two-hour checks.

Abuse of restraint chairs is generally what instigates problems. TCJS has determined that when jailers operate as required, inmates’ lives should not be threatened.

This site’s posts are purposed to help Texas inmates whose rights might have been violated while incarcerated. There is never an intention to imply wrongdoing on the part of a person or institution.

–Guest Contributor

author avatar
smchugh

Wrongful Death, Neglect, and Abuse in Jail Lawyer/Attorney in Texas: Polk County Jail

Polk County Jail is in Livingston, Texas 77351 at 1733 N Washington Ave. The jail can be contacted at the phone number (432) 336-3521. The inmate capacity at Polk County Jail is 362. The Polk County Sheriff handles county jail operations. Each year, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) inspects Polk County Jail and all other city and county jails in Texas. When  non-compliance is discovered, TCJS heightens scrutiny of the jail until it meets minimum jail standards.  

Restraints

TCJS has approved the use of certain restraints for the control of inmates who are exhibiting potentially injurious behavior. Among the approved restraint devices are restraint chairs. Allegedly preventable custodial deaths have been associated with the use of restraint chairs in various jurisdictions throughout the U.S. As a result, a number of jurisdictions in the country have outlawed restraint chairs in jails.

Restraint chairs are approved for use in Texas. The minimum jail standards include details on the use of restraints. An example is that inmates must be placed in the least restrictive restraint device to mitigate their situation. Restraint cheers are on the opposite end of the scale from least restrictive devices.

The arms, legs, and of an individual who is strapped in a restraint chair are immobilized. Medical care must be provided throughout an inmate’s ordeal of being restrained.

This website’s posts are meant as helpful resources for inmates in Texas, as well as their families. There is never an intention on this site to suggest wrongs on the part of a person or institution.

–Guest Contributor

author avatar
smchugh

Wrongful Death, Neglect, and Abuse in Jail Lawyer/Attorney in Texas: Pecos County Jail

Pecos County Jail is in Fort Stockton, Texas 79735 at 1774 N Hwy 285. The jail can be contacted at the phone number (432) 336-3521. The inmate capacity at Pecos County Jail is 49. The Pecos County Sheriff is responsible for jail operations. The jail is inspected every year by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Whenever a Texas city or county jail is discovered to be non-compliant with minimum jail standards, it is subjected to increased TCJS oversight and scrutiny.  

Restraints

Throughout Texas, jailers can use various TCJS-approved restraints when needed to control the potentially injurious behavior of inmates. Restraint chairs are among the approved restraint devices. Some jurisdictions in the US have opted to outlaw the use of restraint chairs due to an increasing number of inmates who have died in connection with the restrictive devices.

When an inmate is strapped into a restraint chair, his or her arms, legs, and torso are rendered immobile. The TCJS guidelines specify that the least restrictive type of restraint device that can mitigate the danger must be used in any given situation.

The medical condition of an inmate must be assessed before being placed in a restraint device of any kind. In addition, inmates must be provided with medical care for every two hours they are detained in a restraint device, whether a restraint chair or a less restrictive type of restraint.

This website’s posts are intended as helpful resources for inmates in Texas, as well as their families. There is never an intention to suggest misdeeds on the part of any entity or individual.

–Guest Contributor

author avatar
smchugh

Wrongful Death, Neglect, and Abuse in Jail Lawyer/Attorney in Texas: Montague County Jail

Montague County Jail is in Montague, Texas 76251 at 111 S Grand Street. The jail can be contacted at the phone number (940) 894-2491. The bed capacity at Montague County Jail is 101. The Montague County Sheriff has charge of jail operations and the responsibility of ensuring that minimum jail standards are upheld. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) establishes the guidelines for jail operations. All city and county jails are inspected each year. When a facility has failed to meet minimum standards, it is more closely scrutinized until TCJS determines that they are compliant.

Restraints

Restraints on prisoners can be used at Montague County Jail when inmates are in danger of hurting themselves or could possibly injure others. Combative, potentially violent, and self-destructive inmates can be controlled using a restraint device, as long as TCJS guidelines are followed.

Restraint chairs are among the approved devices for controlling inmates as needed. The least restrictive device must be chosen for any given situation. A restraint chair is the most restrictive device, and custodial deaths have taken place while inmates have been strapped into this type of mechanical restraint device.

It is essential for jailers to follow specific instructions with regard to the restraint of inmates because they are potentially put at risk in such situations. For instance, when a prisoner is detained using handcuffs, ankle cuffs, restraint chairs, and other approved devices, they must be checked for circulation in their extremities every 15 minutes. In addition, for every two hours in restraints, inmates must be given medical care.

Inmates have rights, and minimum jail standards help to protect those rights. During jail inspections, jail records are examined to determine whether inmates have received the required considerations while in custody; and details regarding restraints are among the areas scrutinized.

The posts on this site purpose to serve as helpful resources, and it is never intended to imply that an organization or individual has engaged in wrongs.

–Guest Contributor

author avatar
smchugh