A prisoner in the Galveston County, Texas jail died on Thursday morning, March 14, 2019. Apparently, the inmate was only 30 years of age. Shockingly, it appears that he died of dehydration after being transported to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. We will post more information about what occurred as we obtain it.
We express no opinion as to what occurred in this situation, and we make no allegation that anyone did anything wrong. However, county jail inmates are entitled, by federal law, to receive reasonable medical care. If jail officers are aware that an inmate needs healthcare, and they decide not to provide it, then they can be liable to the inmate (or his or her family if the inmate dies). A county can also be held liable for a death occurring as a result of medical issues, if the county’s policies, practices, and/or customs caused, or were moving forces behind, the death. These causes of action are usually filed in federal court. The statute for bringing these constitutional violation claims is 42 U.S.C. Section 1983.
