Following the tragic death of a prisoner linked to a failure in observational rounds, the Harris County Jail has failed yet another state safety inspection.
In a letter to Harris County officials on January 13, inspectors from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) concluded that in-person observations had not been made as required in relation to a recent in-custody fatality. According to the letter, Harris County Jail staff self-reported the observational lapse, which prompted the inspection.
The letter stated that although observation rounds were carried out within the duration required by minimal requirements, face-to-face observations had not been finished as necessary, based on an analysis of the submitted video.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail in downtown Houston, reports that three individuals passed away at various points during December from apparent medical emergencies within the Harris County Jail. Which of the recent deaths prompted the state inspection is not stated in the TCJS letter.
With the most recent deaths, the number of in-custody deaths in 2024 has dropped to 10, down from at least 19 in 2023. According to county records and data from the Texas Justice Initiative, at least 27 people died at the facility in 2022, the most in almost 20 years.
According to state law, detention personnel must check on inmates once every hour and every 30 minutes for individuals who are confined and are known to be violent, suicidal, mentally ill, or to have displayed strange conduct.
About a month prior to the failed inspection, a different state inspection discovered that when a prisoner was booked in October, jail staff neglected to search his wheelchair, enabling him to bring a loaded weapon into the institution. Before the police took the pistol away, it had been in the jail for over a month.
The jail changed its policies as a result of the occurrence. Personal mobility devices, including wheelchairs, are no longer permitted within the building.
A request for comment on Monday was not immediately answered by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Below, you can read the Texas Commission on Jail Standards’ whole notice of noncompliance:
