Category: County Jails|Texas Commission on Jail Standards

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) conducted a jail inspection of La Salle County Jail in Cotulla, Texas, and issued a jail inspection report on November 16, 2017. The investigators with TCJS found two alleged violations of minimum jail standards. Both of the cited standards involve ensuring the safety of prisoners. More information follows:

• Prisoners in a detoxification or holding cell must be observed face-to-face by jail personnel every 30 minutes or less. TCJS reported that after a careful review of video evidence and paperwork, it was found that either welfare checks of prisoners in detox or holding cells exceeded 30-minutes or the checks were not documented or completed as required by minimum jail standards.
• Facilities have strict guidelines related to ensuring regular face-to-face observation of all prisoners. The maximum amount of time prisoners must be checked in person is every 60 minutes. Some prisoners are in areas of a jail in which they are to be checked every 30 minutes. When being booked into jail, prisoners go through a process to determine whether they are potentially suicidal, mentally ill, assaultive, or demonstrate bizarre behavior. If any of these are indicated, the prisoners are given face-to-face checks every 30 minutes. In addition, there must be a voice communication capability between jailers and prisoners that goes both ways. Closed circuit televisions can be used, but it cannot take the place of personal observation. TCJS investigators found that that in the area where observations must be made every 60 minutes or less, jail staff allegedly failed to meet those minimum jail standards.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

Pecos County Jail in Fort Stockton, Texas, was inspected by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards earlier this year. On October 17, 2017, a Jail Inspection Report was released, and the Pecos jail was cited for five alleged violations. The primary purpose of the standards is to ensure the safety of prisoners, staff, and others who visit a jail. When a prisoner is harmed or suffers a custodial death due to a failure of staff to follow jail requirements, the county can be held responsible.

The following is information about some of the violations of jail standards that Pecos County Jail allegedly committed:

• Observation logs of prisoners in detoxification or holding cells were reviewed, and it was found that jailers consistently exceeded the maximum 30-minute face-to-face observation times by 2 to 17 minutes.
• Records indicated that jailers had not been receiving the required 3 hours of suicide prevention training every quarter.
• A prisoner was exhibiting bizarre behavior, and the magistrate was not notified, as required.
• Random samples of 60-minute observation logs of prisoners were reviewed, and it was allegedly determined that jailers consistently exceeded the 60-minute time frame by 9 to 17 minutes. The alleged failure of staff to conduct 30-minute observations occurred in areas were prisoners were known to be potentially suicidal, mentally ill, known to be violent, or who had behaved in a bizarre manner.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

The Brooks County Detention Center in Falfurrias, Texas, has been cited by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) for two alleged violations. Details of the jail inspection report are below. Jails have a duty to keep inmates, staff members, and others safe. Specific guidelines are provided, and they help to protect the rights of individuals who are incarcerated. Laws in Texas changed on June 15, 2017, which put additional safeguards in place on behalf of individuals who have been arrested and are mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal. Those changes are part of the Sandra Bland Act, which is legislation that has been signed into law. It is named after Sandra Bland, who died in Waller County Jail on July 13, 2015. She committed suicide in a jail cell there three days after being arrested for an alleged minor traffic violation and getting into a confrontation with the police officer who pulled her over. Audio and dashcam video captured what happened, and it went viral, creating public outrage across the country.

Because of the new Texas law, jail staff members are required to take new actions on behalf of inmates with mental health issues of some kind, including being at risk for committing suicide. For example, a judge must be informed by the local sheriff’s department within 12 hours when an inmate is potentially mentally disabled or suffering from a mental health problem.

The way jail staff members determine whether inmates are at risk is by following certain intake screening procedures.

According to inspectors with TCJS, Brooks County Jail Mental Health / Suicide Screening Forms were reviewed. Multiple violations were allegedly found in which the supervisor, magistrate and/or mental health authority were not notified as required. Forms showed that no notations were made indicating that any notifications about at-risk inmates had been made by jail staff.

The other alleged violation of jail standards was the Brooks County Jail did not comply with the requirement that the facility be inspected every year by a local fire official.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

Cherokee County Jail in Rusk, Texas, was cited by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) for alleged noncompliance with jail standards. The Jail Inspection Report was released on August 30, 2017. The inspection itself took place on September 27, 2016. The alleged violation was related to intake screening in which inmates who are known to be or are observed to be potentially suicidal and/or mentally disabled are given appropriate considerations, as outlined in Code of Criminal Procedure Article 16.22. A magistrate is supposed to be notified of the information about an inmate and mental health officials are also supposed to be informed under these circumstances.

According to the TCJS, the jailer at Cherokee County Jail allegedly failed to complete the intake screening form and adhere to necessary instructions on the form with regard to the notification of a magistrate and medical personnel.

These types of measures are extremely important, to prevent jail suicides. The laws related to at-risk inmates recently changed when Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the Sandra Bland Act into law in June 2017. Sandra Bland had just moved to Texas from Chicago in July 2015 when a police officer in Waller County, Texas pulled, her over for allegedly failing to use a turn signal. Her famous encounter with the officer was captured on dashcam video and was released on social media, where it went viral.

The exchange between the Waller County officer and Bland was in itself a source of social outrage, though people supported both sides of the confrontation. The entire incident took on even greater significance when Bland committed suicide in jail three days later. The Sandra Bland Act, in her honor, provides greater assurance that mentally disturbed people who are incarcerated have more help. In addition, agencies will investigate all jail deaths and police officers are required to receive de-escalation training.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards conducted an inspection of the San Saba, Texas, County Jail earlier this year. The facility was cited for four alleged violations of minimum jail standards. Among the duties of the commission is to hold jails accountable for the custody, care, and treatment of inmates. Of particular concern is when despondent inmates attempt to commit suicide or die while in custody for other reasons. A database was set up to allow public access to information about jail deaths. Allegedly, 6,913 people died in Texas while in custody from 2005 through 2015. When jail standards are followed, there is less of a chance that inmates will be injured or suffer a custodial death.

The following is information about alleged violations of jail standards cited against San Saba County Jail:

• Texas facilities have a duty to protect inmates from one another and deter or prevent escapes. It was allegedly found during the jail inspection at San Saba that the cage that protects the air conditioning unit from inmates was not locked. It would have been possible for inmates to kick the window unit out of the window and escape custody. A secured perimeter meant to protected staff and visitors from inmates was not maintained.
• Jailers allegedly failed to conduct daily inspections of the cells to insure an appropriate level of cleanliness of the living areas.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

A Jail Inspection Report from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards was released for Marion County Jail in Jefferson, Texas, on August 1, 2017. One significant factor in these reports is that they can reveal dangers to inmates. There have been many custodial deaths and jail suicides in Texas and throughout the country that cause great concern. For instance, if a suicidal inmate isn’t checked routinely, there is a greater chance that he or she might succeed in finding a way to commit suicide by hanging. Many counties have had to pay settlements to families of those who died in jail as a result of non-compliance to jail standards. Sub-standard staff supervision and oversight are conditions known to result in higher levels of potential danger to inmates. Overcrowding can also lead to increased risk. The two issues for which Marion County Jail have been cited can both potentially make inmates less safe.

The first alleged violation of standards at Marion County Jail was that the jail exceeded capacity. The requirements are very specific. For instance, cells with multiple occupancy can contain up to 8 bunks with no less than 40 square feet of clear floor space for the first bunk and another 18 square feet of clear floor space for every additional bunk. According to jail inspectors, the capacity in six multiple occupancy cells was exceeded by one inmate per cell. Inspectors allegedly confirmed that this issue of crowding went on for each day of the past week plus for 12 of the past 30 days.

The second alleged violation of jail standards was that the jail failed to provide one jailer per floor of the facility where 10 or more inmates were housed at all times.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor