The Dallas County Jail failed a state inspection triggered by complaints about the treatment of two incarcerated people, according to findings released this week.
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards found Dallas County noncompliant for keeping two men in holding cells for about two and a half days each – beyond the 48 hour maximum allowed.
Though not factored into the noncompliance finding, the Commission also noted the jail failed to provide one of the men with his prescribed medication on two mornings, according to the inspection report obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
After receiving the complaints in April and May, the commission last month conducted an off-site inspection of jail paperwork, a narrower review than the comprehensive inspections that occur every 24 months. The state informed Dallas County of the noncompliance on July 30 and published the findings on Wednesday.
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In one of the complaints, obtained by The News, a woman told state officials her loved one was “treated like a dog” while in the holding cell and not given his electronic tablet, commissary items or laundry.
Related:People are being held in Dallas County jail weeks beyond sentences amid systemic failures
The findings add to the spotty history Dallas County has had with special and regular state inspections: Records over the past 10 years show the state found the jail noncompliant in 2018, 2021 and twice in 2022 – including for neglecting to conduct regular observations of suicidal people; not providing personal hygiene items; paper and pencils to write to attorneys; filing observation logs that did not match video footage; and other violations.
In an interview Thursday, Sheriff Marian Brown noted the July 22 inspection was not a comprehensive check of compliance with all standards jails must follow but a narrower review of two specific complaints.
She said the jail has already informed the jail standards commission of steps taken to prevent such occurrences from happening again.
“It is of the utmost importance for us to do what we say we’re going to do,” Brown said. “But the challenge is we have hundreds of standards that we have to live up to and any one of those hundreds of standards can put us out of compliance.”
Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown speaks at a press conference at the Frank Crowley Courthouse, Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
The jail remains in noncompliance until the state conducts a review and reinspection, which can take as long as two months, according to the commission’s assistant director, Ricky Armstrong.
One incident where a man was kept in a holding cell for two and a half days without his medication occurred because he was being transferred between housing units, Brown said. The jail’s software system does not automatically alert jailers when a person has been in a holding cell for more than 48 hours.
As a result, the sheriff said the jail implemented a log for the control center on every floor to track when a person is transferred between housing areas. That list is now shared with medical staff to check if anyone on the log is in need of medication, Brown said.
She could not immediately provide details on what led to the second man being left in the holding cell for more than 48 hours.
As of Friday, there were 6,831 people housed in the jail, which was at 96% capacity.
“We are always, always trying to make sure that we are doing the things that we are supposed to be doing,” Brown said. “This is a big wheel we turn and we are all spokes … If one spoke gets out of order then this is what happens: It can put us out of compliance, so we encourage everybody to stay on top of turning the wheel.”
The failed inspection in 2018 was a narrow review prompted by the county’s failure to conduct 30-minute observations for people who are suicidal, mentally ill or demonstrating bizarre behavior, according to the inspection report.
The jail failed the annual inspection in 2021 for not providing indigent people with hygiene products; failing to allow some people on suicide watch to shower for two to 15 days; and not providing paper and pencils to communicate with attorneys.
Brown said many of those issues were due to the jail’s navigation of COVID-era protocols. At the same time, she said, the jail was a leader for video family visits and daily case reporting.
“We knew we were keeping people safe,” Brown said.
In February 2022, the jail failed a state inspection when observation logs did not match video footage of suicidal people; documentation did not show fresh clothing was provided to people in crisis; and about 40 cell doors were in disrepair.
Seven months later, a special inspection prompted by a death found that jailers were not conducting their rounds in line with state standards – a conclusion corroborated by video footage.
Although the jail passed two inspections in 2024, findings noted the need for improvement. In January that year, inspectors found jailers failed on eight occasions to give one person his medication but inspectors concluded it was not a systemic issue.
Armstrong, the commission’s assistant director, said inspectors have discretion to find jails in compliance even if they note issues that need improvement, typically because those items are able to be resolved in one day or are not life-threatening.
In Dallas County’s July 22 inspection, Armstrong said the failure to provide the man his medication for two days in the holding cell did not count toward the noncompliance because it was an isolated incident.
Krish Gundu, executive director of the Texas Jail Project, a nonprofit that advocates for incarcerated people, said even narrow inspections focused on complaints can shed light on broader problems in a jail. Not counting a problem as critical as missed medication is “is like helping someone cheat in an exam,” she said.
The state only enforces minimum standards, which Gundu said should be a low bar to meet.
“You’re deciding to cage thousands of people in a stressful environment,” Gundu said. “The least we want to do is follow minimum standards.”