KEY QUESTION: What is the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, and how does the Commission affect county government? REFERENCE POINTS: Texas Administrative Code TITLE 37 – PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS PART 9 – TEXAS COMMISSION ON JAIL STANDARDS TALKING POINTS: The Texas Legislature created the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (Commission) in … [Read more...] about Texas Commission on Jail Standards
Texas Commission on Jail Standards
KEY CONCEPT: Texas Commission on Jail Standards
KEY QUESTION: What is the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, and how does the Commission affect county government?
REFERENCE POINTS: Texas Administrative Code TITLE 37 – PUBLIC SAFETY AND CORRECTIONS PART 9 – TEXAS COMMISSION ON JAIL STANDARDS TALKING POINTS: The Texas Legislature created the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (Commission) in 1975 to implement a declared state policy that all county jail facilities conform to minimum standards of construction, … [Read more...] about KEY CONCEPT: Texas Commission on Jail Standards
Jail Commission Update
Sandra Bland Deadlines, Paper-Ready Inmates
As we begin FY21, there are two items for county officials to be aware of. These two items are the last portions of the 85th Legislature’s Senate Bill 1849, commonly referred to as the Sandra Bland Act, and their effective dates. The first deals with how quickly a county must provide access to medical and mental health services. When first passed into law, the way the bill … [Read more...] about Jail Commission Update
Sandra Bland Act
Prisoner Safety Measures Address At-Risk Inmates
The Sandra Bland Act, passed by the 85th Texas Legislature, calls for a multitude of changes that are affecting and will affect Texas county jail operations and Minimum Jail Standards including education requirements, installation of specific equipment, and inmate access to health and mental health professionals. Throughout the last several years, the Texas Commission on … [Read more...] about Sandra Bland Act
Time and Attention
Sheriffs Encourage Commissioners Court to Prioritize Jail Operations
Kelly Rowe learned a valuable lesson his first day on the job in the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Department back in 1999. “When I first walked into the old Lubbock County Jail, which was built in 1931, I made a lot of notes to self,” recalled Rowe. “One of those notes was to tour the jail before accepting my next job. I accepted this job, and then I toured the jail. I walked … [Read more...] about Time and Attention