The Dallas County jail was determined to be in compliance with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) after passing a surprise re-inspection last week, according to a Dallas County Sheriff’s Office release sent to The Dallas Express.
In February, the commission held its annual inspection and found that the jail did not comply with minimum standards.
Brandon Wood, executive director of the TCJS, sent a report to the County after that initial inspection outlining the violations and instructing the County that they must initiate “appropriate corrective behaviors.”
When the TCJS visited the jail from February 14-18, they reportedly found the following:
- Suicidal inmates “were being incorrectly documented” after comparing written logs with video evidence.
- About 40 housing unit doors were inoperable, which inspectors found were part of an ongoing problem. “While on-site, inspectors attempted to verify door repairs and witnessed inmates manipulating a cell door with contraband causing the door to become inoperable,” the report read.
- A “consistent burning smell” was coming from the North Tower. Staff told investigators the smell is commonly associated with K2, a synthetic marijuana, or the burning and smoking of coffee grounds.
- Generators in the South Tower were not adequately tested in March and April of 2021. The inspection says minimum standards require weekly and monthly load tests on generators.
After the initial report, County Judge Clay Jenkins told KERA that the results were “disappointing, obviously.”
“We’ve got to get in compliance,” Jenkins added.
TCJS gave Jenkins and Sheriff Marian Brown 30 days to give notice that they had received the report and provide a plan on how they would tackle the issues.
Sheriff Brown responded to TCJS in February, outlining all changes they would implement at the jail, the sheriff’s office told The Dallas Express.
When inspectors returned on May 31, they were satisfied with the changes and provided the Dallas County jail with a certificate of compliance.
“We have made and will continue to make improvements at every level to ensure that our jail system meets or exceeds state standards,” Brown said.
