The Harris County Jail in Houston, TX, is not a place to serve time, based on alarming findings uncovered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ report, obtained by the Houston Chronicle, revealed accounts of inmates dying unnecessarily and excessive uses of force by guards.

 

Several reported incidents described inmates suffering from serious medical conditions who were not treated in time, sometimes waiting as long as weeks, before they finally died. In addition to citing inadequate medical and mental health care, Justice Department officials criticized the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for allowing jailers to use reckless forms of restraint, noting that it “does not train staff that hogtying and chokeholds are dangerous, prohibited practices.”

 

The Justice investigation was not the first to find serious fault with the jail, which houses about 11,000 prisoners. State inspectors failed the facility four times for a combination of poor medical care, overcrowding and inmates’ deaths.

 

The Justice Department has ordered the sheriff’s department to implement changes in policy and procedure, or else face legal action for violating the constitutional rights of inmates.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

U.S. Cites ‘Alarming’ Rate of Jail Deaths (by Roma Khanna, Houston Chronicle)

Report on Jail in Harris County (U.S. Department of Justice)