Liberty County is attempting to stop the Texas Commission on Jail Standards from closing the Liberty County Jail. According to the state, the jail has been non-compliant for over 600 days. Several factors were included in this. Just two months ago, inmates attempted to start a riot in the jail, summoning multiple agencies to assist. Then, earlier this month, a fire in the jail in which many to be evacuated to the recreation area. Five officers were injured in that incident.. In addition, the Fire Marshal was injured as he responded to the jail after an 18-wheeler lost its rear wheels, striking the Fire Marshal’s vehicle. The new Fire Marshal failed the jail on the most recent fire inspection. The jail, which houses over 350 inmates, was ordered to have them moved by April 26, 2025. Just a move could cost the county upwards of $25.000 per day, plus transportation costs. In addition, inmates would have to be transported back and forth for court, and visitors of inmates would have to travel unknown distances. A new jail has been requested for years, but Liberty County Commissioners have not budged.
BELOW ARE THE VIOLATIONS
NOTICE OF NON-COMPLIANCE
LIBERTY COUNTY JAIL
March 24, 2025
Please reference the Inspection Requirements Review and Jail Inspection Report issued on March 24,
2025, detailing the specific issues that resulted in the issuance of this notice of non-compliance.
Visiting areas shall be provided and shall be designed to
provide adequate visitation for the capacity of the facility.
Visitation areas shall be designed for the degree of security
sought to be achieved.
After a review of an escape that occurred on February
9, 2025, it was determined the inmate had been placed
in visitation ‘for safekeeping’ instead of a holding cell.
Visitation areas are not designed for and shall not be
utilized as holding cells.
Doors to single cells, multiple occupancy cells,
dormitories, and day rooms shall be capable of being
locked and unlocked individually by control means located
remote from the cell area. Single cells with contiguous day
room and separation cells which open directly on an exiting
corridor are exempt from this requirement. All remote door
controls shall be secure.
During a comprehensive onsite inspection conducted inIn
January 2025, it was determined that Liberty County could
only open doors on the west end of the jail using remote
control. All other doors had to be manually secured.
After a review of an escape that occurred on February
9, 2025, it was determined that the ‘slider’ door on the
lobby side worked with a key only, and the ‘slider’ door
on the secure side did not lock at all. In addition, the
visitation area door did not lock. All three doors were unsecured, thus allowing the inmate to escape the facility.
Minimum and maximum custody level inmates shall be
housed separately.
During the review of a serious incident (riot) that
On February 27, 2025, it was determined that
Four (4) inmates were classified as minimum custody
and housed with maximum custody inmates.
NOTICE OF NON-COMPLIANCE
LIBERTY COUNTY JAIL
January 31, 2025
Please reference the Inspection Requirements Review and Jail Inspection Report issued on January 27,
2025, detailing the specific issues that resulted in the issuance of this notice of non-compliance.
Multiple occupancy cells shall contain two to eight
bunks and not less than 40 square feet of clear floor space
for the first bunk plus 18 square feet of clear floor space for
each additional bunk. Each multiple occupancy cell shall
have one toilet and lavatory. Multiple occupancy cells
should not be provided in direct supervision facilities. 135.
Dormitories shall contain 9 to 48 bunks. Dormitories
operated as direct supervision may accommodate more
than 48 inmates but shall not exceed more than 72 inmates.
Dormitories shall contain not less than 40 square feet of
clear floor space for the first bunk plus 18 square feet of
clear floor space for each additional bunk. Each dormitory
shall have adequate toilets, lavatories, and may include
showers. Dormitories with contiguous day rooms in direct
supervision facilities may exceed 40% of the facility
capacity
At the time of the inspection, Liberty County had
exceeded the maximum capacity in some of the housing
units.
259.157 Doors to single cells, multiple occupancy cells,
dormitories, and day rooms shall be capable of being
locked and unlocked individually by control means located
remote from the cell area. Single cells with contiguous day
room and separation cells which open directly on an
exiting corridor are exempt from this requirement. All
remote door controls shall be secure. At the time of the inspection Liberty County could only
open doors on the west end of the jail using remote
control.
Keys and locks for detention doors shall be manufactured
especially for detention use and keys shall be mogul or
paracentric type. An additional set of keys shall be
maintained by the operator.
Detention doors to single and multiple occupancy cells
were observed to have nonworking and missing locks.
All life safety equipment shall be inspected, maintained,
and tested by persons qualified to do so (whether under
vendor contract, by state or private agency or otherwise)
in order that such equipment shall be safe, secure, and fully
operative at all times.
The kitchen Ansul hood was 60 days past due on the 6
month inspection requirement.
Each facility, after consultation with the local fire
department or Texas Commission on Fire Protection, shall
have and implement a written plan, approved by the
Commission on Jail Standards, for fire prevention and a
fire hazard inspection checklist which shall be evaluated
no less than each calendar quarter. The facility shall be
inspected annually by a local fire official who is certified
by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or who meets
the alternative criteria provided in Government Code
419.909 and shall pass the inspection.
The current inspection performed by the local Fire
Marshal listed deficiencies and was listed as a failed
inspection.
All life safety equipment shall be inspected, maintained,
and tested by persons qualified to do so (whether under
vendor contract, by state or private agency or otherwise)
in order that such equipment shall be safe, secure, and fully
operative at all times.
The fire panel had 158 trouble codes listed at the time
of the inspection.
(a) Each sheriff/operator shall develop and implement a
mental disabilities/suicide prevention plan, in coordination
with available medical and mental health officials,
approved by the Commission by March 31, 1997. The plan
shall address the following principles and procedures: It was discovered that Liberty County was not performing documented observations of those on
suicide watch.
Identification. Procedures for intake screening to identify
inmates who are known to be or observed to be mentally
disabled and/or potentially suicidal and procedures for
compliance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article
16.22 and referrals to available mental health officials;.
Liberty County was not processing the results of the
suicide screening forms as required of CCP 16.22
Every facility shall have the appropriate number of jailers
at the facility 24 hours each day. Facilities shall have an
established procedure for documented, face-to-face
observation of all inmates by jailers no less than once
every 60 minutes. Observation shall be performed at least
every 30 minutes in areas where inmates known to be
assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill, or who have
demonstrated bizarre behavior are confined. There shall be
a two-way voice communication capability between
inmates and jailers, licensed peace officers, bailiffs, and
designated staff at all times. Closed circuit television may
be used, but not in lieu of the required personal
observation. Electronic sensors or cameras capable of
recording the required personal observations of inmates in
high-risk cells or groups of cells shall be installed no later
than August 31, 2020.
Two-way voice communication could not be achieved
through the intercom system.
275.4 Inmates shall be supervised by an adequate number of
jailers to comply with state law and this chapter. One jailer
shall be provided on each floor of the facility where 10 or
more inmates are housed, with no less than 1 jailer per 48
Inmates or increments thereof on each floor for direct
inmate supervision. This jailer shall provide documented
visual inmate supervision not less than once every 60
minutes. Sufficient staff to include supervisors, jailers, and
other essential personnel as accepted by the Commission
shall be provided to perform required functions. A plan
concurred in by both the commissioners’ court and the sheriff’s
office, which provides for adequate and reasonable
staffing of a facility, may be submitted to the Commission
for approval. This rule shall not preclude the Texas Commission on Jail Standards from requiring staffing in excess of minimum requirements when deemed necessary to provide a safe, suitable, and sanitary facility, nor
preclude submission of variance requests as provided by
A review of staffing rosters indicated that Liberty
The county was not meeting the 1-48 ratio.
Preventive maintenance, to include necessary repairs, shall
be conducted to ensure a safe, secure, and sanitary facility.
The inspector found several sinks, toilets, showers and
light fixtures that were damaged or inoperable.
Each facility shall have and implement a written plan,
reviewed and approved by the commission, for the
maintenance of an acceptable level of cleanliness and
sanitation throughout the facility. Such plan shall provide
for:
(1) a regular daily schedule for the work and inspections
necessary to keep the facility clean; which schedule shall
be assigned and supervised by jailers who have the
responsibility for keeping the facility clean and making
regular sanitation inspections;
Housing units were observed with excessive amounts of
trash and clutter.
Each facility shall have and implement a written plan,
reviewed and approved by the commission, for the
maintenance of an acceptable level of cleanliness and
Sanitation throughout the facility. Such a plan shall provide
for:(2) water and sewage systems not part of a public
system and food preparation areas shall be inspected at
least annually by health authorities, and a record kept for
each inspection;
At the time of the inspection, the annual health
inspection of the kitchen was past due by 20 days and
One has not been scheduled.
NOTICE OF NON-COMPLIANCE
LIBERTY COUNTY JAIL
June 5, 2024
Please reference the Inspection Requirements Review and Jail Inspection Report issued on June 3-4, 2024.
detailing the specific issues that resulted in the issuance of this notice of non-compliance.
Minimum
Standards
Violated:
Corrective
Measure
Required
Date Corrective
Action Must Be
Completed
259.124
259.125
Multiple occupancy cells shall contain two to eight bunks and not
less than 40 square feet of clear floor space for the first bunk plus
18 square feet of clear floor space for each additional bunk. Each
multiple occupancy cell shall have one toilet and lavatory.
Dormitories shall contain 9-48 bunks. Dormitories shall contain
not less than 40 square feet of clear floor space for the first bunk
plus 18 square feet of clear floor space for each additional bunk.
Each dormitory shall have adequate toilets, lavatories and may
include showers.
At the time of the inspection, Liberty County had 335 inmates
housed, and their maximum capacity is 281.
Upon receipt of
this notice.
263.56
263.42
Emergency power equipment shall be tested at least once each
week and the electric load transferred to the circuits at least
monthly.
At the time of the inspection, the generator had not been
tested since 3-4-24
Each facility, after consultation with the local fire department or
Texas Commission on Fire Protection, shall have and implement
a written plan, approved by the Commission on Jail Standards,
for fire prevention and a fire hazard inspection checklist which
shall be evaluated no less than each calendar quarter. The facility
shall be inspected annually by a local fire official who is certified
by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or who meets the
alternative criteria provided in Government Code 419.909 and
shall pass the inspection. During the inspection, it was discovered that Liberty County
has not done a quarterly fire hazard inspection since 10-10-
23.
All life safety equipment shall be inspected, maintained, and
tested by persons qualified to do so (whether under vendor
contract, by state or private agency or otherwise) in order that
Such equipment shall be safe, secure, and fully operative at all
times.
At the time of the inspection, the foam tank for the Ansul hood
had been Red Tagged by the inspection agency.
There shall be a two-way voice communication capability
between inmates and jailers, licensed peace officers, bailiffs, and
designated staff at all times.
During the inspection of the inmate-occupied areas, the
The inspector found cells with missing intercoms along with
inoperable intercoms.
Inmates shall be supervised by an adequate number of jailers to
comply with state law and this chapter. One jailer shall be
provided on each floor of the facility where 10 or more inmates are
are housed, with no less than 1 jailer per 48 inmates or increment
thereof on each floor for direct inmate supervision. The Inspector
discovered staffing records indicating that Liberty County
Failed to meet the minimum standards of 1-48 on 16 shifts in May
2024.
279(1) Preventive maintenance, including necessary repairs, shall be
conducted to ensure a safe, secure, and sanitary facility.
During the inspection, the Inspector discovered sinks,
showers, toilets, and lighting that did not work correctly.
Exposed wiring and damage throughout the inmate-occupied areas were observed.
