Category: County Jails|Texas Commission on Jail Standards

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards routinely inspects Texas jails, and inspection reports are available to the public. The safety of inmates is one of the major reasons for accountability. Considering the fact that jail suicides and other custodial deaths are not infrequent, this issue is very important to inmates and their families. Cities across the nation have been paying families of deceased inmates millions in federal lawsuits, due to such things as negligence and failure to follow minimum jail standards. Kinney County Jail has recently been cited for alleged violations of jail standards in eight different areas.

There are two cities in Kinney County, those being Brackettville and Spofford. The safety of inmates is no less important in small counties than in larger ones. One of the areas in which inspectors found that Kinney County Jail was noncompliant involves protecting inmates known to be mentally ill, potentially suicidal, assaultive, or are known to demonstrate bizarre behaviors when confined. Jail staff members allegedly went over the 60-minute observations of inmates in general population areas. These overages allegedly took place in an established pattern over the course of several months. These are the types of situations which county jails have been sued for, since they are attributed with making inmates more vulnerable to committing jail suicides.

The following are among the other alleged violations at Kinney Count Jail, based on an April 13, 2017, Jail Inspection Report:

• Facilities are supposed to be secure in order to protect staff and visitors from inmates, prevent or deter escapes, and protect inmates from one another. The jail inspector observed that the entry to the jail was locked open with a chain on a wall. It was possible to walk directly into holding cells and the booking area because the unsecured door gives open access to the jail’s center hub.
• Two staff members had no documentation regarding life safety training, and one of those jailers was unaware of emergency procedures to take when an alarm was activated.

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

During a Texas Commission investigation on jail standards at Bosque County Jail, Texas, on March 20, 2017, six violations of jail standards were allegedly found. One of them is that jailers allegedly waited longer than the required 30-minute maximum between observations in the holding and detox cells. The jailers were allegedly late by as few as 1 minute and up to 34 minutes. These timed observations are part of the protocol used to ensure that inmates are not causing harm to themselves or others. In recent weeks, jail suicides have been blamed on jailers who failed to provide inmate checks at the required intervals.

The following is information about the other alleged violations at Bosque County Jail that were identified on the day of the inspection:

• The staff failed to submit the report on the Veterans Reentry Search Service (VRSS), which is required. In addition, there is no log available to show when the last VRSS report was submitted.
• No documentation was on hand to show that classification files were audited, which is required annually.
• Two inmate files allegedly did not contain the intake screening forms that are used to identify inmates who may be potentially suicidal or mentally disabled.
• For the calendar year 2017, there were no contraband searches documented, though they are required to be done both regularly and irregularly and noted in a permanent facility record.
• It was found that preventative maintenance is needed for approximately 17 different items that ensure a sanitary, secure, and safe facility For example, several cells did not have a properly functioning toilet. Some cells have no hot water and some have no cold water.

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