Category: Medical Care

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department, in Fort Worth, Texas, filed a report with the Attorney General of Texas regarding the death of Tyler Jay Huffman. Mr. Huffman was only 38 years old at the time of his death. We provide information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

Inmate Huffman entered the Tarrant County Jail on September 5, 2021 at 2335 hours on a CDC1 warrants for Poss. CS 1-4 PG1. From my understanding at the scene, Inmate Huffman was detoxing from unknown narcotics. He also had high blood pressure. He was housed in the Tarrant County Belknap Jail on 2-7 (Floor 7) in “O” housing unit cell 1. The inmates are locked inside their cells from 2200 hours to 0730 hours each day. It appears that Inmate Huffman died sometime in the early morning of 09-10-2021. He was found deceased in his cell after he did not get up from the bed to retrieve his breakfast tray at approximately 0600 hours. CPR was performed by the jail staff and he was later pronounced deceased at 0641 hours by EMS. At the time of the report, there did not appear to be anything suspicious with the death. The decedent was transported to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Texas Department of Public Safety Ranger T. Dendy was called to investigate the death.

The report indicates that Mr. Huffman exhibited mental health problems, but it does not elaborate on those issues. The summary also seems to indicate that, perhaps, Mr. Huffman was not being periodically observed as required by Texas Commission on Jail Standards regulations. Regardless, a full investigation should determine both the cause of Mr. Huffman’s death and whether the Tarrant County jail was properly performing duties in accordance with State regulations.

The 14^th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of pre-trial detainees to receive reasonable medical care and mental health care. If a detainee does not receive reasonable medical care and/or mental health care, and dies as a result, then certain surviving family members may be able to bring a lawsuit for that death.

After 49-year-old Richard Edgerton entered into Harris County Jail the afternoon of September 5, 2019, he was placed in a detox cell. According to the Custodial Death Report on Mr. Edgerton, the next day he was found nonresponsive on the floor in the Medical Infirmary, where he received attention for opiate detoxification. After being moved to a nearby hospital, he was pronounced dead at 10:34 pm on September 6, 2019.

Minimum jail standards for the operation of county jails in Texas are established by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). TCJS also enforces those requirements. Every county jail is visited for an annual inspection, and sometimes jails are found in noncompliance. The following are details of an area of noncompliance in a Texas county jail related to personal observations of prisoners in detox cells.

RULE §265.3 – Observation During Holding

In a Jail Inspection Report dated November 23, 2020, the records of observation during holding were examined by a TCJS inspector. Documented visits and electronic records both are available. The jail was cited for noncompliance and the inspector’s note conveys the following:

• On a continuous basis, the required 30-minute face-to-face observations of inmates in holding and detox cells were exceeded by 10 to 30 minutes.

See Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

There is no intention on this website to suggest that persons or organizations have engaged in improprieties. Posts are provided to assist Texas prisoners in county jails, whether housed there currently or at a former time.

–Guest Contributor

Richard Edgerton, age 49, died on September 6, 2019, a day after being booked into Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas. According to the Custodial Death Report, the cause of death was methamphetamine and heroin toxicity.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards includes instructions on the admission of inmates. Health tags are required during the admission process. These health tags are designed to identify when a prisoner in a Texas county jail has special mental or medical health needs. Any needs that inmates have related to health must be brought to the attention of either the supervisor on duty or health personnel.

Detoxification cells are among the requirements for county jails. According to a former Texas jail nurse who has chosen to remain anonymous in sharing her experience, complete medical intake is taken within four to six hours of being incarcerated. Controlled substances are not permitted. A detox protocol involves being housed in a detox cell for a minimum of 10 days. As needed, inmates can stay up to 45 days in a detox cell to receive medical care during the detoxification process.

See Part 1 and this ongoing series. In the next segment, learn about a report of non-compliance in which a Texas county jail failed to conduct the required interval for face-to-face observations of inmates being held in detoxification cells.

It is not intended on this website to make implications of wrongdoing on the part of individuals or entities. Posts on this site are added to help Texas county jail inmates, whether currently or formerly incarcerated.

–Guest Contributor

Richard Edgerton was arrested and booked into Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas, on September 5, 2019. The following day, he was discovered on the floor of his cell and he was unresponsive. He was given medical care but died on September 6, 2019.

Studies show that the percentage of drug-addicted inmates has increased across the nation in the past decades. Opioids have been pinpointed as a cause of widespread drug addiction. Commonly used opioids include codeine, fentanyl, opium, methadone, and heroin. Many people who have become addicted were given prescription pain medication by their doctors and didn’t realize the addictive nature of the drugs.

A number of jails throughout the country have adopted programs in which innovative treatments are used to stop opioid addiction. Some of those programs are in Texas.

One Texas sheriff stated that jailing addicts is not an effective solution. He supported the county’s decision to provide monthly shots of a drug that covers opioid receptors so that addictive drugs cannot have the desired effects. Patients using these drugs experience fewer cravings and are unable to get high.

The shots are expensive, however, and cost more than $1,000 each. In one Texas pilot program, initial doses were provided and it was expected that private insurance or Medicaid would cover future doses.

Only inmates who were set for release were permitted to participate in the program.

Learn more in this ongoing series.

There is never an intention on this website to imply that improprieties have occurred on the part of persons or institutions. The purpose of providing posts on this website is to help inmates now or formerly detained in Texas county jails.

–Guest Contributor

After 23-year-old Brandon Alexander Dominguez died an inmate of Denton County Jail, Denton, Texas, on August 18, 2021, a Custodial Death Report was prepared. A possible cause of death was listed as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).  

A unique study of a dozen deaths in a state outside Texas focused on the possibility that the inmates died of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Details of a DKA-Related Death – 3

A 41-year-old inmate at a county jail in the state where the DKA study took place was in the jail’s custody for only eight days before his death. An investigation showed that friends knew of the care the man had taken to tend to his condition as a diabetic. He reportedly always had his medications with him, and he kept them in a case.

After his death, one of the jailers said that during intake, the man’s blood sugar was tested. The blood sugar was so high, he should have been immediately admitted into a hospital, but he wasn’t. Four days later, he was transferred to a nearby hospital. Jail records showed that he was moved there because his blood sugar was four times higher than the normal range. Also, his body was ice cold to the touch. The man died four days later. Some of the jailers allegedly came to the consensus that the man might have survived if his needs had been tended to immediately instead of waiting for several days.

See Part 1 and Part 2 of this three-part series.

There is no intent on this website to infer that wrongs have occurred on the part of individuals or entities. This website posts information that could be of assistance to county jail inmates in Texas.

–Guest Contributor

Brandon Alexander Dominguez died at age 23 in Denton County Jail, Denton, Texas, on August 18, 2021.  He was booked into the jail on July 2, 2021. On August 17, 2021, he became unresponsive after suffering medical distress.

A report from a state outside Texas was done after at least 12 people in the state’s jails and prisons died from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) over the course of 10 years. DKA is considered a preventable death because it is only fatal when diabetes is left untreated. Specifics follow about another of the deaths mentioned in the study.

Details of a DKA-Related Death – 2

An individual serving 25 years entered the prison system having never been treated for diabetes. However, during the intake process, a blood sugar test revealed that he had the disease. When he died, his blood sugar had been tested the day before and was 13 times the amount in a normal blood sugar reading. His blood sugar of 1,472 was remarkably high and an amount that medical workers rarely see in patients.

The medical director for the state’s county jail system reported that the 25-year-old suffered a painful death because his bodily systems slowly deteriorated until they were no longer responsive. One of the doctors responsible for the inmates where the man died admitted that his death would not have occurred if she and other doctors had been attentive to his medical records.

Learn more in Part 1 and this continuing series.

There is no intent on this website to infer that wrongs have occurred on the part of individuals or entities. This website posts information that could be of assistance to county jail inmates in Texas.

–Guest Contributor

Brandon Alexander Dominguez entered Denton County Jail in Denton, Texas, on July 2, 2021. The 23-year-old died on August 18, 2021, the day after he suffered medical distress and became unresponsive. The Custodial Death Report for Mr. Dominguez shows the following under “Cause of Death:” History of Covid-19, possible Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

Multiple instances of custodial deaths caused by diabetic ketoacidosis were recently the subjects of a first-of-its-kind study in another state. The deaths of a dozen men were explored, and they were all allegedly related to diabetic ketoacidosis.

What is Diabetic Ketoacidosis?

Commonly known as DKA, diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that can occur when a sufficient amount of insulin is not produced by the body. DKA is potentially fatal. Symptoms include:

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Thirst
• Fatigue or weakness
• Confusion
• Frequent urination

To treat diabetic ketoacidosis, insulin and fluids must be administered.

Details of a DKA-Related Death – 1

The study gives details of one inmate jailed for failure to pay child support. Records allegedly show that the man complained repeatedly that he was denied his twice-daily doses of insulin for the treatment of diabetes. His health grew progressively worse from the sporadic dosages he received. During a 10-day period, the 41-year-old allegedly experienced increased incontinence, lethargy, pain, confusion, and seizures. He was then discovered dead on the floor of his cell with vomit on his face. Diabetic ketoacidosis was the alleged cause of death.

Learn more in this continuing series.

This website offers posts intended as helpful resources for prisoners in county jails in Texas. There is never an intention of suggesting that individuals or institutions have participated in wrongdoing.

–Guest Contributor

The death of 65-year-old Rickey Paul Smith in Dumas, Texas, has been under investigation by the Texas Rangers. Mr. Smith was booked into Moore County Jail on July 25, 2021, and he died by suicide on the following day.

Each year, inspectors with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) inspect every county jail in the state. Instances of non-compliance are published in Jail Inspection Reports made available to the public. The following are examples of Texas County jails allegedly failing to provide supervision of inmates at the level required by TCJS. In addition to supervising inmates to prevent suicide, as mentioned previously, observing inmates is also for safety purposes.

Non-Compliance in Texas County Jails: RULE §273.6-Restraints

Under RULE §273.6-Restraints, any inmate who is being held in a restraint of any kind must be personally checked by a jailer or medical personnel every 15 minutes at most. There is a danger that an inmate’s circulation could be cut off from his or her extremities.

Jail Inspection Report Dated 6/7/2021:

• The inspector determined that on two separate occasions in April 2021, face-to-face observations of inmates who had been placed in restraints were not conducted.

Jail Inspection Report Dated 4/8/2021:

• During an annual inspection, it was determined that the 15-minute face-to-face observations on prisoners placed in restraints were not conducted as required in TCJS minimum jail standards.

See Part 1 and Part 2 of this ongoing series.

The posts on this website are provided to assist inmates in Texas county jails. There is no intention of implying that persons or organizations have been involved in wrongs.

–Guest Contributor

The day after being booked into Moore County Jail in Dumas, Texas, on July 25, 2021, Rickey Paul Smith was discovered hanging by his neck. Mr. Smith had apparently used a strap to commit suicide. He died on July 26, 2021.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has established requirements for supervision of inmates, which is recognized as an effective deterrent to custodial suicides. Rules of inmate supervision under Title 37, Part 9, and Chapter 275 follow.

RULE §275.1 –Regular Observation by Jailers

Every day, 24 hours per day, each jail must have the appropriate number of staff members in the facility. For the general population of inmates, face-to-face observation of the prisoners is required every 60 minutes. For inmates recognized as being in any of the following categories, observation is required every 30 minutes at most:

• Potentially suicidal
• Mentally ill
• Exhibiting bizarre behavior
• Assaultive

Although closed-circuit television can be used, it cannot replace required personal observations.

The personal checks of high-risk inmates must be recorded using cameras or electric sensors, in addition to written documentation.

Non-Compliance: Supervision of Inmates

As important as supervision is for the protection of inmates, it is concerning that jail inspection reports for non-compliant jails often reflect that supervision is not being conducted at the required intervals.

See Part 1 and this ongoing series.

The posts on this website are provided to assist inmates in Texas county jails. There is no intention of implying that persons or organizations have been involved in wrongs.

–Guest Contributor

Rickey Paul Smith was admitted into Moore County Jail in Dumas, Texas, on July 25, 2021. The next day, at approximately 5:20 p.m., a jailer discovered Mr. Smith hanging by his neck in his cell. Life-saving measures were initiated and continued for nearly a half-hour, but he was pronounced dead on July 26, 2021.

Suicide is known to be a significant problem in Texas lock-up facilities, with the percentage of custodial suicides consistently higher than suicides outside the jail system. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) is responsible for minimum jail standards in county jails in Texas, and suicide is addressed in multiple ways under the Texas Administrative Code’s RULE §273.5-Mental Disabilities/Suicide Prevention Plan.

Training

Each jail is responsible to make provisions for staff training so that jailers are equipped to recognize, supervise, document, and handle inmates with mental disabilities and/or possible suicidal tendencies.

Handling intake screening is a position that requires additional training in order to know procedures for the following:

• Identifying inmates known or observed to be mentally disabled and/or possibly suicidal. The training should include making referrals available to mental health officials.
• Communicating information that relates to potentially suicidal and/or mentally disabled inmates.
• Procedures for the assignment of housing for mentally disabled and/or possibly suicidal inmates.
• Making adequate provisions to ensure appropriate supervision of these at-risk inmates, including procedures for documenting supervision.
• Immediately completing a screening instrument for inmates needing suicide prevention measures or assistance as a mentally disabled individual.

Learn more in this ongoing series.

This site offers posts for the purpose of helping Texas inmates currently or previously housed in county jails. There is never an intention to imply that individuals or organizations have engaged in improprieties.

–Guest Contributor