Tarrant County jailers were late on 3 checks in 24 hours before inmate died by suicide
Employees at the Tarrant County Jail were late on three checks before an inmate died by suicide in April, according to a document obtained by the Star-Telegram through an open records request.
Dean Stewart’s death, which happened on April 26, sparked a routine investigation by the Texas Commission of Jail Standards. The investigation revealed the lapse in checks, which resulted in the jail losing state certification for six days in May. To regain its certification, the jail had to supply the state with a plan of action detailing how they would ensure that inmate checks weren’t missed in the future.
In Stewart’s case, he was left alone for nearly an hour when jailers were 21 minutes late to a check. Another time, the check was made 17 minutes late and in the third it was done 12 minutes late, according to the document.
An internal investigation was opened on May 5 against the three correctional officers who were assigned to Stewart’s pod. Those investigations are still ongoing.
The document outlines five other ways the jail will correct the violation.
▪ The jail ordered a new electronic timekeeping system that will help track and record observation checks. Staffers were trained on how to use the system on May 26.
▪ All logs from January 2020 to the end of May will be audited to verify that checks are being conducted appropriately and supervisors are reviewing them after every shift.
▪ The jail reviewed its operating procedures regarding observation checks to make sure they were in compliance with state standards. The Detention Bureau’s Compliance Team reported that the rules were clear.
▪ Supervisors were reminded that high-risk housing should be staffed with experienced and qualified jailers.
▪ All captains in housing units were reminded to fill out an “end of shift summary,” which requires the on-duty lieutenant to write an email to their superior detailing what happened during their shift.
The loss of the jail’s certification was met with concerns from Tarrant County Commissioners Roy Brooks and Devan Allen, who said on Tuesday that they only learned about the loss because it was written about in the Star-Telegram.
Sheriff Bill Waybourn assured them he would communicate better in the future. The last time the jail was out of compliance was in 2015 for 24 days, the sheriff said.
