Category: Medical Care

Daniel Lee Blankenship was an inmate at Johnson County Jail in Cleburne, Texas, when he was found unresponsive in his single-person cell on February 8, 2021. Life-saving measures were immediately initiated, and EMS personnel took him to a nearby hospital. Tragically, he passed away on February 12 from the effects of a suicide attempt.

Suicide Prevention

Suicide prevention is a matter of importance in all jails because suicide rates in lock-up facilities are significantly higher than among the general population. Studies have been done in attempting to discover the best methods for inmate suicide prevention. Training of jail guards, intake personnel, and other employees can help to prevent inmate suicides.

The following are among the questions answered in suicide prevention training:

• When are inmates at an increased suicidal risk?
• What events are known to potentially trigger a suicide attempt?
• How should jail personnel respond to prisoners who are actively suicidal?  
• How significant is early suicide intervention?

Main Topics in Suicide Prevention Training

• Identification and screening of jail inmates who are at risk for suicide.
• Intervention in a suicide event.
• Communication between jail personnel about inmates at risk for committing suicide.
• Supervision and observation of inmates at risk for suicide.
• How to report and investigate suicide attempts.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) has provided a section in the Texas Code regarding Suicide Prevention. Learn more in the next segment of this series.

This website purposes to provide assistance to prisoners currently and formerly held in county jails in Texas. There is never an intention to infer wrongs on the part of persons or entities.

–Guest Contributor

Drugs were associated with the arrest of 25-year-old Anderson Howard.  He was arrested by the Rowlett Police Department, Rowlett, Texas, in Dallas County on October 9, 2021. For reasons that were not specified in the related custodial death report, Howard died the same day as his arrest.

Medical care is the issue in Texas jails that is complained about the most, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS). Inmates have a right to receive necessary medical attention. There have been occasions when jail medical staff allegedly failed to act on behalf of inmates in obvious need of attention and other employers took action. Such was the case the following incident that occurred some years back in a county jail.

An Inmate Dies After Being Injured in the Jail

A prisoner initiated a scuffle with guards and ended up being taken to the floor in a way that resulted in his forcefully hitting his head on the concrete floor. He was placed in handcuffs and was later examined by medical staff who had him sent to a nearby hospital for a head scan. No fractures were seen on his head or neck and he was returned to the jail.

After a few hours, the inmate informed guards that he was paralyzed. He was given Tylenol that night and oral prescription medication the next morning. He was not able to lift up and accept more pills later in the day. The medical staff member noted the incident as “refused” medication. Later on, a guard fed the medicine to the inmate by hand.

The inmate’s condition worsened. He began defecating on himself and was unable to move. A guard contacted a relative who was a nurse. Arrangements were made for outside sources to get the prisoner to a hospital, where he died two weeks after the initial incident.

This site seeks to provide help to current and former prisoners in county jails in Texas. There is not an intent to suggest misdeeds on the part of persons or entities.

–Guest Contributor

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”), as a result of an April 21, 2021 special inspection, has now found that Johnson County Jail , in Cleburne, Texas, to be non-compliant.  The results of the inspection were shocking, based upon our Texas civil rights law firm’s review of custodial death reports.  We do not recall reviewing a finding by the TCJS consistent with that finding about the Johnson County Jail.

The TCJS inspector wrote:

“A review of documentation provided for a custodial death review revealed that 7 individuals working on the date of the incident did not have a temporary or permanent Jailer’s license.  Additionally, a supervisor on duty that day was working on a Temporary Jailer’s License.  Jailers shall be licensed through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement prior to supervising inmates, and County Jail Supervisors must possess a permanent license before being promoted.”

The TCJS inspector determined that the Johnson County, Texas jail violated Section 275, paragraph 012 of Texas minimum jail standards.

There is no excuse for a jail, such as the Johnson County jail, to have several individuals working with neither a temporary jailer’s license or permanent jailer’s license.  This is even more troubling when the finding is related to a death in that jail.

The special inspection report does not disclose the specific death with which it references.  However, there have been at least two recent deaths in the Johnson County jail.

First, Daniel Lee Blankenship committed suicide in the Johnson County jail on February 8, 2021.  Here is a link to a story we wrote about Mr. Blankenship’s death – https://deanmalonelawfirm.com/jail-neglect/daniel-lee-blankenship-commits-suicide-in-johnson-county-jail/

Second, Justin Lee Geelan, who was 51 years of age at the time, died shortly after being incarcerated in the Johnson County jail.  The custodial death report for Mr. Geelan contained a summary portion which reads:

“On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, according to witnesses, inmate Justin Geelan was standing next to his bunk when he fell backwards to the ground. Geelan appeared unconscious and seizing. Inmate Geelan then regained consciousness and was helped to a bottom bunk bed. Witnesses said inmate Geelan appeared weak but was verbal while sitting on the bottom bunk. Within a short time, Inmate Geelan again became unresponsive and not breathing. Live saving measures were started by staff, which was then taken over by Jail medical. Upon the arrival of EMS life saving measures were continued as they transported inmate Geelan to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne, Texas. Inmate Geelan was later transported to Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, Texas. On March 18, 2021 at the request of Geelan’s mother, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth extubated Geelan and all care was stopped. Geelan passed away at the hospital a short time later. According to the Hospital the time of death was at 4:55 pm on March 18, 2021.”

The United States Constitution guarantees the right of pre-trial detainees in Texas county jails to receive reasonable medical care.  It also guarantees the right to be protected from known suicidal tendencies.  If jailers are deliberately indifferent to these rights, or they act in an unreasonable manner, and a person dies as a result, then those jailers may be liable to certain surviving family members.  Likewise, if a county’s policy, practice, and/or custom caused or was a moving force behind the death of an inmate, then that county may likewise also be liable, through a federal lawsuit, to certain surviving family members.  We do not make any allegations in this post that Johnson County was necessarily liable for either of the deaths referenced above.  However, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards was apparently concerned enough about the jail’s failure to have licensed employees that it has now listed the Johnson County jail on its list of non-compliant jails.  Hopefully, the Johnson County jail has cured its deficiencies and will work hard to protect inmates in its care.

Twenty-five-year-old Anderson Howard’s date of death was October 9, 2020. It was the same day he was arrested by the Rowlett Police Department in Rowlett, Texas, Dallas County. A custodial death report was released that reflected many details surrounding the young man’s arrest but provides no specifics regarding his death, though drugs were involved in the arrest.

One of the requirements of Texas county jails is that they formulate a written plan for inmate rehabilitation programs. The following are the types of testing and counseling programs that inmates can voluntarily participate in, per guidelines provided by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS):

• Drug abuse or alcohol problems
• Job placement
• Family problems personal psychiatric or psychological problems
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Rehabilitation Programs

Studies show that putting the responsibility of handling individuals with drug problems on the jail system is not particularly effective. Yet, 1 of every 5 people jailed are serving time for an offense related to drugs. It is rare that addicted individuals can simply “stop using.” Drug rehab is looked upon far more favorably than placing a drug-addicted person in jail, but only 11% of jailed individuals with drug problems receive addiction treatment.

Withdrawal deaths occur in jails all too frequently, but the jail environment is generally ineffective as far as encouraging sobriety.

See this continuing series for more information.

This website offers posts designed to assist current and former inmates in Texas county jails. There is never an intention to denote misdeeds on the part of persons or institutions.

–Guest Contributor

At some point during his incarceration at Gaines County Jail in Seminole, Texas, 35-year-old Brian Keith Gandy was identified as potentially suicidal and placed on suicide watch. Tragically, however, a decision was made that he was not a suicide risk any longer, and he was moved to the general population. A short time later, on April 21, 2021, he took his own life using a bed sheet as a noose.

As mentioned in the last post in this series, a Texas jail was found to be non-compliant regarding classification and placement of inmates. The issue is one that can mean the difference between life and death. Details on the jail inspection report findings are below.

Administrative Separation

The jail facility that was cited for non-compliance has an area for administrative separation. Prisoners are placed there either because separation is needed to protect the facility’s safety and security or to protect that inmate. Inmate status reviews for individuals held in the administrative separation area are required every 30 days if the status is to be continued.

According to the inspector with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) that conducted that jail’s inspection, reviews of the status of prisoners held in administrative separation were not conducted during the required 30-day time frame.

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

The hope in adding posts to this website is that current and past prisoners incarcerated in county jails in Texas can find assistance. There is at no time an intention to suggest that wrongs have occurred on the part of organizations or individuals.

–Guest Contributor

Brian Keith Gandy was a prisoner at Gaines County Jail in Seminole, Texas, and he hung himself by the neck and died on April 21, 2021. He had been on suicide watch but a judgment was made to remove him from that status.

One way jails attempt to prevent suicide is by properly classifying inmates. All prisoners are supposed to be detained in the housing that is the least restrictive for them, appropriate to their needs. High-risk prisoners are placed in areas of the jail where supervision via personal observations is either every 30 minutes or every 15 minutes at most. 

• The following are also risk factors considered during the classification of inmates:
  • Drug and/or alcohol abuse
  • History of escape, if any
  • History of offenses
  • History of institutional disciplinary actions
  • Current conviction or offense

Factors pertaining to criteria for classification may not include religious preference, ethnicity, or race.

Classification Instruments

The following are instruments approved for utilization during the classification procedures:

• Custody Reassessment/Review
• Initial Custody Assessment. 
• Intake Screening

A Non-Compliant Texas Jail 

In a Jail Inspection Report dated March 17, 2021, for a county Texas jail, some areas of non-compliance were found in areas touched on above.  Learn details in the next segment and also see Part 1 of this series.

In providing posts for this website, it is intended to help inmates incarcerated in the past or present in a Texas county jail. It is never intended on this site to infer misdeeds on the part of persons or entities.

–Guest Contributor

The Gaines County Sheriff’s Office, in Seminole, Texas, filed a custodial death report with the Attorney General of Texas regarding the death of Brian Keith Gandy. Mr. Gandy was only 35 years old at the time of his death. We provide in this post information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The report indicates that Mr. Gandy made suicidal statements. It also indicates that he exhibited mental health problems. The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“Subject had been in an altercation with his wife. According to her he had choked her, hit her and fired a firearm at her. He had left the scene prior to Deputies arrival. He was found later on and had a Warrant for Motion To Revoke Probation of a previous drug charge. A case was filed against him the next day for Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon. He had been placed on suicide watch for the first couple of days in jail. The Justice of The Peace had taken him off of Suicide Watch after speaking with him and did not think he was at risk any longer. On 04/21/2020 at about 3:45PM he hung himself with a bed sheet by tying it to his bed and around his neck. He kneeled down and cut off his air supply causing Asphyxia from hanging. He was transported by EMS to our local hospital and he was pronounced as deceased on 04/21/2021 at 4:04pm. The Jail Commission and Texas Rangers were notified immediately and Texas Ranger Dominic Zuniga worked the case and attended the autopsy.”

Our Texas law firm unfortunately sees a significant number of jail suicides, and we are currently handling a number of such cases. Texas jails need to be vigilant about inmates who present with mental health issues and/or suicidal tendencies. Jailers need to watch for inmates who are intoxicated, have been involved with family violence, have been sentenced to a lengthy incarceration, have PTSD, have bipolar disorder, and otherwise exhibit mental health issues.

If a Texas county has a policy, practice, and/or custom that leads to the death of an inmate, then the inmate’s constitutional rights may have been violated. Certain surviving family members may have claims pursuant to the death of an inmate. This is general information our law firm is providing, and we once again make no comment regarding any potential wrongdoing that led to Mr. Gandy’s death.

The Zavala County jail, in Crystal City, Texas, recently failed a Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”) inspection. The inspection occurred on April 12, 2021. The Zavala County jail is now listed as being non-compliant by the TCJS.

The violations were serious, as it relates to inmate safety. First, the inspector could not verify that medication was consistently administered to inmates as ordered by a physician. Obviously, if a person does not receive medication ordered by a physician, the failure to receive that medication could lead to serious injury and/or death.

Second, the TCJS inspector determined that jailers exceeded the required 15-minute face-to-face observation period for inmates placed in restraints. Restraint chairs are often used in Texas jails, and jails must use such restraint chairs in a humane manner. That includes making appropriate observations of inmates.

Finally, TCJS standards require that jailers observe inmates at least every 30 minutes in areas in which those prisoners are known to be assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill, or have demonstrated bizarre behavior. The TCJS inspector determined that jailers in the Zavala County jail exceeded the 30-minute observation period for such inmates.

These failures can lead to significant injury or death. Therefore, hopefully, the Zavala County jail will cure its deficiencies.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”) recently determined that the Erath County jail, in Stephenville, Texas, is non-compliant with minimum standards. This determination occurred as a result of an April 12, 2021 inspection by the TCJS. The TCJS inspector noted that the fire facility panel was showing trouble in the system. This trouble had related to a broken pipe in the facility sprinkler system that occurred in February 2021. As of April 12, 2021, the Erath County jail had not initiated repairs.

The Duval County jail, in San Diego, Texas, recently failed an inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (“TCJS”). The inspection occurred on April 5, 2021. The Duval County jail is now listed as being non-compliant by the TCJS.

The TCJS inspector found that the fire panel was in trouble mode at the time of the inspection, and the panel had been “red-tagged” since January 29, 2021. Issues noted by a technician had not been repaired.

Moreover, the TCJS inspector found two troubling issues with regard to inmates’ safety. TCJS standards require that observations of certain inmates occur every fifteen minutes, and that observations be face-to-face. The TCJS inspector determined that Duval County jailers did not document face-to-face observation of inmates in restraints every fifteen minutes as required.

Further, the TCJS requires that jailers observe inmates at least every thirty minutes in areas where inmates are known to be assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill, or who have demonstrated bizarre behavior. The TCJS inspector determined that Duval County jailers exceeded the 30-minute face-to-face observations in such areas. This is a serious violation and could lead to injury or death. Further, regardless of TCJS standards, anything short of continuous observation of suicidal inmates is inadequate. It takes very few minutes to commit suicide using a ligature, and this is the common manner in which people in Texas jails unfortunately end their own lives.