Category: City Jails|County Jails|Custodial Death|Jail Inspections|Non-Compliant Jails|Restraint Chair|Restraints|Studies|Texas Commission on Jail Standards

San Patricio County Jail is in Sinton, Texas 78387 at 300 N Rachal Ave. It has an inmate capacity of 236, and the jail’s contact phone number is (361) 364-9630. The San Patricio County Sheriff handles the operations of the San Patricio County Jail. Jail operation rules and requisites are determined and enforced by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Annual jail inspections and increased oversight of non-compliant jails are the primary avenues of enforcement.

Restraint Chairs

Texas minimum jail standards are largely about safety. TCJS allows jailers to use restraint devices when inmates are exhibiting behavior that poses potential harm to themselves or others. Restraint chairs are among the approved mechanical restraint devices, in spite of many controversies surrounding them.

An inmate placed in a restraint chair is typically strapped in at the ankles and wrists. In such a vulnerable situation, the fear that abuse might occur has been realized on too many occasions, according to records in jails across the nation.

Evidence of inhumane treatment and custodial deaths that have occurred in restraint chairs have prompted multiple U.S. jurisdictions to ban their use, though none are in Texas.

TCJS minimum jail standards specify that restraint chairs must be used strictly according to guidelines. They are not to be used in any inhumane way or as a form of punishment.

This site’s posts seek to help inmates whose civil rights might have been violated while confined in a Texas city or county jail. There is never an intention to infer that misdeeds have occurred on the part of a person or institution.

–Guest Contributor

Rockwall County Jail is in Rockwall, Texas 75087 at 950 T.L. Townsend Drive. The jail can be contacted at the phone number (972) 204-7100. The Rockwall County Sheriff is responsible for the operations at Rockwall County Jail, which has a bed capacity of 243. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) sets the minimum standards that jails must meet. Each Texas city and county jail is inspected annually, and non-compliant jails are held under stricter scrutiny until all issues of non-compliance are resolved.

Restraint Chairs

When inmates are behaving in an injurious manner, designated personnel can place them in TCJS-approved restraints. The least restrictive manner of restraint that can mitigate the situation must be chosen. Among the approved restraints are restraint chairs, which have been linked to dozens of deaths, according to various sources. The device has been referred to as the “devil’s chair,” and watchdog groups claim that there is no place for a restraint chair in any American jail.

An inmate’s torso, arms, and legs are all bound in restraint chairs. Texas minimum standards require that inmates shall not be placed in any restraint device until a medical professional has assessed their health condition. Once restrained, inmates must be checked every 15 minutes. Every two hours, medical care from a medical professional must be provided.

A restraint chair cannot be used as a form of punishment. Also, it is required that all restraints be used in a humane manner.

This site’s posts are meant to assist Texas inmates who believe their rights have been violated during incarceration. There is never an intention to imply improprieties on the part of any individual or entity.

–Guest Contributor