Category: City Jails|County Jails|Texas Commission on Jail Standards

Minor Infractions

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards lists the following types of discipline that are approved as responses to minor infractions. A minor infraction is a violation of jail regulations and rules that do not constitute any type of serious offense against a person and does not pose a serious threat to safety and order inside the jail. Sanctions for minor infractions are limited to the following:

• A written or verbal reprimand
• Counseling
• In direct supervision facilities that are podular in nature, temporary restriction to a cell for 24 hours at most
• Disciplinary separation for no longer than 15 days
• Restitution for any damage done to jail property
• Loss of privileges for no longer than 15 days
• Loss of credit for good conduct

Discipline for Major Infractions

A major infraction is a violation of regulations and rules that constitute serious offenses against people and/or property and that also pose a serious threat to safety and order in the jail. Sanctions for major infractions include:

• Loss of credit for good conduct
• Removal from work programs or details
• Disciplinary separation for no longer than 30 days
• Loss of privileges for a maximum of 30 days
• Restitution for damage to jail property

See Part 1 of this ongoing series to learn more about the minimum jail standards related to punishments as well as a story from outside Texas in which a former jailer has been charged with a crime for his alleged disciplinary methods with an inmate.

The posts on this site are provided as potentially helpful resources. There is never an intent on the website to make any sort of implication that a person or institution has been involved in any sort of wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor

The address of Gillespie County Jail is 1601 East Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas 78624; and the jail can be contacted by calling (830) 997-7585. Gillespie County Jail has an inmate capacity of 96. Jail operations are the responsibility of the Gillespie County Sheriff. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) establishes minimum standards for Texas jails. Enforcement is primarily achieved with jail inspections and enhanced supervision of jail facilities found to be non-compliant.

Gillespie County Jail Visitation

Visitation times at Gillespie County Jail are from 8 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On weekends, visitation is available Saturdays from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Rules of Visitation:

• Adults who come for visitation must have a valid photo ID, such as a Texas or state’s driver’s license or a state ID card.
• Visitors age 16 and under must be accompanied by a guardian in order to be permitted inside the jail facility.
• All visitors are required to exhibit proper conduct. The visit planned by any person who engages in inappropriate behavior will be canceled. If a visitor has indications of drug or alcohol use, visitation shall be denied.
• The administration at Gillespie County Jail reserves the right to refuse an inmate visit to any individuals who are inappropriately dressed or who are believed to be holding contraband.

This and all posts on this site seek to provide helpful information. There is never an intention to infer that a person, institution, or organization has engaged in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor

Bosque County Jail is located at 266 FM 2840, Meridian, Texas 76665. The phone number is (254) 435-9966. The inmate capacity at Bosque County Jail is 35. The Bosque County Sheriff runs the county jail, and standards set out by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) provide the guidelines.

The Bosque County Jail provides the following online information:

• The location of the Bosque County Jail has recently been relocated to the address at 266 FM 2840 in Meridian, TX.
• The Bosque County Jail is able to house males and females and has a maximum capacity of 35 inmates.
• Anytime the jail reaches maximum capacity, some of the inmates are transferred to other county facilities. They are housed on a contract paid by the Bosque County Sheriff’s Office.
• Certain inmates within the jail can become a “trustee,” which means that they can be assigned various tasks which help them to lessen the length of the sentence they are serving in the jail. For example, some “trustees” do housekeeping duties such as mopping and sweeping the floors, cooking food for other inmates, and other light-duty tasks.
• Four to eight “trustees” are in a “work crew” that is supervised by a Peace Officer as they perform work tasks in the county outside of the jail. Such tasks include helping road workers patch potholes, picking up trash along roadways, trimming trees near roadways, and mowing bar ditches.

All posts on this website aim to provide helpful information. There is no intention to infer wrongdoing on the part of any person or government agency.

–Guest Contributor

Austin County Jail is located at 417 N. Chesley Street in Bellville, Texas 77418; and the phone number is (979) 865-5321. The Austin County Sheriff is responsible for running the county jail in accordance with guidelines established by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS).

As in all Texas city and county jails, the supervision of inmates at Austin County jail is required to be handled as set out in the Texas Administrative Code under Public Safety and Corrections and TCJS. Minimum jail standards require the following:

• Face-to-face observation of all inmates must be performed and documented by jailers at least once every 60 minutes. Jail facilities must establish the procedures for documenting these observations. Closed-circuit television can be used, but the cameras must not take the place of the required face-to-face observations.
• All inmates demonstrating bizarre behavior or known to be possibly suicidal, assaultive, or mentally ill must be observed at least every 30 minutes.
• August 31, 2020, was a deadline for cameras or electronic sensors able to record the required personal observations of prisoners housed in high-risk cells or groups to be installed in Texas city and county jails.
• In addition, at all times, a two-way voice communication system must be maintained between inmates and:
  • Jailers
  • Bailiffs
  • Designated staff
  • Licensed peace officers

This post is provided for informational purposes. It is not intended for this or any other post on the site to suggest or infer misconduct or wrongdoing on the part of any person, government institution, or organization.

–Guest Contributor

The Andrews County Sheriff’s Office is located at 201 North Main, Room 113, Andrews, Texas 79714. The phone number is (432) 523-5545.

The jail in Andrews County is run by the Sheriff’s Office. Jail standards provided by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) outline requirements of minimum standards of care for prisoners, which sheriff’s offices are usually responsible for in county jail facilities.

Three standards that are most frequently associated with accusations of misconduct and custodial deaths in Texas jails are prisoner supervision, mental health matters, and medical care.

Prisoner Supervision

A basic requirement with regard to supervising prisoners in county jails is to ensure that the facility has the appropriate number of jail staff 24 hours per day. In addition, face-to-face inmate observations by jailers must be conducted and documented in intervals of no more than every 60 minutes. For at-risk inmates, such as the mentally ill or potentially suicidal prisoners, observations are required every half hour at the most.

Mental Health Care

A suicide prevention and mental disabilities plan must be developed and implemented by the Sheriff or jail operator for each city or county jail facility in Texas. The required procedures include training of staff. For instance, members of the staff should have training in the recognition, supervision, documentation, and handling of prisoners who are suicidal or have mental health issues.

Medical Care

The issue most commonly targeted for complaints in Texas jails is medical care for prisoners. The jail standards with regard to provision of medical care lack detail. For instance, the medical services which are provided in a jail facility may include the services of a licensed physician, professional, and hospital or similar services. The health plans must, however, be approved by the TCJS.

This post is provided for informational purposes. There is no intention in this or any other post on the site to imply or suggest wrongdoing or misconduct on the part of the Andrews County Sheriff’s Office, the Andrews jail facility, any organization, or any person.

–Guest Contributor