(Texas Scorecard) – State regulators have again cited the Harris County Jail for failing to meet state jail standards, marking its third noncompliance notice this year.
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards issued a notice of noncompliance on June 30, flagging the jail for not conducting required face-to-face inmate observations and for missing a mandated fire safety inspection.
This citation came just days after three inmates died within 48 hours in county custody, which brought 2025’s in-custody death toll to 10, matching the total for all of 2024.
During an inspection from June 23–27, officials from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards documented several safety violations, including inmates being held in holding cells beyond the state’s 48-hour limit.
Inspectors also found an instance in which an inmate in a court holding cell went 5 hours and 15 minutes without the required face-to-face observation, significantly exceeding the mandated 30-minute interval.
Additionally, the jail failed to complete a mandatory fourth-quarter fire safety inspection, and fire alarm control panels were discovered in “trouble mode,” signaling malfunctions in the facility’s fire alarm system.
Jason Spencer, a senior adviser for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, said the observation lapse was an isolated incident that staff self-reported and has since corrected. He added that repairs are underway on the jail’s aging fire alarm panels to address issues flagged by inspectors.
The latest notice underscores the jail’s chronic compliance problems. It comes amid a rise in in-custody deaths that has prompted county officials to debate jail conditions and possible fixes.
Many of the jail’s problems stem from severe overcrowding.
Harris County has resorted to housing hundreds of inmates in other jails to ease overcrowding at its facility. As of early 2025, about 1,200 county inmates were held in outside facilities at an annual cost of roughly $50 million.
This practice has drawn criticism for making oversight difficult and potentially endangering inmates.
Initiatives such as mental health diversion programs and faster case processing are credited with lowering the inmate count and reducing the need for outsourcing. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare has made lowering the jail population a priority for his office.