Category: County Jails|Custodial Death|Jail Inspections|Medical Care|Non-Compliant Jails|Restraint Chair|Texas Commission on Jail Standards

Walker County Jail in Huntsville, Texas 77320 is located at 655 FM 2821 Road W. The jail’s bed capacity is 268, and the contact phone number is (936) 435-2412. The Walker County Sheriff handles Walker County Jail operations, which includes ensuring that state standards are met. Texas jails that have not been compliant are more strictly scrutinized by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) and could face disciplinary actions.

Restraint Chairs

TCJS-approved restraint devices are used in Texas jails on prisoners exhibiting potentially injurious behavior. Restraint chairs are the most restrictive type of device used on Texas inmates. Guidelines for using restraints are provided by TCJS and giving inmates medical care is central to placing any type of restraint device on an inmate. According to research, restraint chairs pose the most serious potential harm to inmates.

With ankles and wrists placed in locking mechanisms and the lap and torso strapped into restraint chairs, inmates are subjected to a dangerous level of inactivity. There is a real threat that inmates will develop a potentially deadly blood clot or pulmonary embolism.

Watchdog groups have identified restraint chairs as risky due to a pattern of abuse in jails throughout the U.S. The vulnerability of an inmate in a restraint chair is exploited by jailers acting in violation of standards in any state. There are proven instances in which inmates are humiliated and abused while in a restraint chair, and associated custodial deaths happen at an alarming pace.

The posts on this site are intended to help inmates in Texas county jails. There is never an intention to infer that persons or entities have engaged in misdeeds. 

–Guest Contributor

Tyler County Jail in Woodville, Texas 75979 is located at 702 N Magnolia St. The jail’s bed capacity is 43, and the contact phone number is (409) 283-2172. The Tyler County Sheriff is responsible for Tyler County Jail operations, which includes keeping the jail in compliance with minimum jail standards. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has been assigned matters related to Texas county jails. Minimum jail standards are established by TCJS, and the Commission also conducts annual jail inspections. Non-compliant jails are held responsible through enforcement methods such as increased oversight, additional jail inspections, and, as needed, disciplinary actions.

Restraint Chairs

TCJS has made the determination that county jails in Texas can use restraint chairs when less restrictive methods have failed to control an inmate exhibiting potentially harmful behavior. Restraint chairs have been the subject of much controversy in recent years as a result of the findings of various watchdog groups. For instance, it has been discovered that custodial deaths have been linked to the use of restraint chairs. Also, there are consistent patterns of abuse in jails throughout the U.S.

Regulations for the use of restraint chairs can provide inmate protections, but it appears general guidelines in Texas exceed recommendations of the manufacturers of restraint chairs. In regard to limiting the time an inmate spends in a restraint chair, manufacturers often recommend a 2-hour limit with an absolute maximum of 10 hours. In Texas, the maximum that an inmate can be held in a restraint chair is 24 hours, though inmates must be allowed to exercise their extremities, use the restroom, drink liquids, and more every two hours.  

This website provides posts as possible assistance for inmates in Texas county jails. At no time is there meant to be an implication that persons or institutions have engaged in misdeeds. 

–Guest Contributor