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State audit finds major lapses in Texas jail oversight system

A detention officer checks cells in the general population housing Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Tarrant County jail in Fort Worth.
Yfat Yossifor
/
四虎影院
The audit found that the Texas Commission on Jail Standards missed key inspections and left prisoner complaints unresolved.

The state agency responsible for overseeing county jails across Texas failed to consistently investigate prisoner complaints, maintain accurate records or complete all inspections required by law, according to a new audit by the Texas State Auditor鈥檚 Office.

The , covering October 2022 to December 2024, raised concerns about the Texas Commission on Jail Standards鈥 ability to protect the safety and rights of people in local jails, calling some failures 鈥渉igh risk.鈥 As the state鈥檚 sole jail oversight agency, the TCJS is responsible for handling complaints, conducting inspections and enforcing compliance at the 242 jails under its watch.

Among the most serious findings: commission staff failed to properly investigate nearly all prisoner complaints that were audited, which could cover issues ranging from guard interactions to medical access. In 95% of cases, there was no record of assigning a severity level 鈥 which dictates how quickly jails must be contacted 鈥 and in nearly half, there was no evidence the agency contacted the jail at all. In some cases, the commission didn鈥檛 notify those who filed complaints or even start an investigation, leaving some complaints unresolved for more than two years.

鈥淭hese weaknesses increase the risk that the Commission will not identify a jail in violation of minimum standards, which could affect the safety and well-being of inmates,鈥 auditors wrote.

Between October 2022 and December 2024, the commission received more than 9,700 complaints. But in 13% of audited complaints still listed as 鈥渙pen,鈥 there was no evidence they had been assigned to an investigator at all.

The audit also reviewed how the commission handled in-custody deaths. Between January 2023 and December 2024, Texas jails reported 287 deaths. In all 60 cases reviewed by auditors, the commission was notified within 24 hours and assigned an outside agency to investigate. By early 2025, half were complete, while the rest remained open 鈥 including three that had been open for more than two years. According to the commission, the agency follows up quarterly but lacks authority to set deadlines for local investigators.

Beyond complaints and deaths, the audit found issues with the commission鈥檚 inspection system. Five counties, including Bexar and Travis, missed required limited inspections 鈥 a key factor in determining how often higher-risk jails are inspected. The audit also found issues with the agency鈥檚 inspection scheduling tool, which helps determine how often jails are inspected. In December 2024, the tool miscalculated risk scores for over 75% of jails reviewed by auditors. This left 10 facilities with insufficient oversight, according to auditors.

The audit found that enforcement practices 鈥 including follow-up inspections, remedial orders and technical assistance 鈥 were generally handled appropriately. From 2023 through 2024, the commission issued 149 notices of noncompliance and referred the to the Texas Attorney General鈥檚 Office earlier this year after repeated violations.

TCJS officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, but in a written response included in the audit, the agency agreed with the findings and said it plans to implement fixes by August 1.

鈥淭CJS will improve its processes and uphold its commitment to effective oversight and accountability,鈥 the agency wrote.

But jail reform advocates like Krish Gundu, the executive director of Texas Jail Project, say the changes are long overdue.

"It's both validating and alarming to see the inefficiencies noted in the Commission's complaints process," Gundu said. "We are deeply concerned about the impact these inefficiencies have had on jails that probably deserved to be issued non-compliances but were not."

Lucio Vasquez is a breaking news reporter for The Texas Newsroom. Based in Houston, he covers a wide range of urgent stories, from natural disasters and political developments to social justice and criminal justice issues.

A graduate of the University of Houston, Vasquez has built a reputation for swift, accurate coverage of fast-moving events. He can be found on X at and on Instagram at .

Send him story tips at lvasquez@kera.org.