FORT WORTH, Texas — A Tarrant County Jail inmate died Monday after complaining of poor health and becoming unresponsive as he was being transported to a hospital. This incident adds to a series of deaths that have raised concerns over the condition and management of the facility.
The deceased, a 51-year-old man, had been detained since September 10 on multiple felony charges, including continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. His identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
Officials reported that following the inmate’s complaints about his wellbeing, medical staff at the jail responded and later decided to dispatch an ambulance to take him to John Peter Smith Hospital. It was during this transport that the inmate lost consciousness. Despite immediate resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead at the hospital on Monday afternoon.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner, alongside the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) criminal investigations division, hospital personnel, and multiple state and federal agencies, will conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading up to the inmate’s death. This comprehensive review aims to maintain transparency and justice, aligning with protocols for all in-custody deaths.
This latest incident underscores a troubling pattern of fatalities at the facility, which has seen more than 60 inmate deaths since Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office in 2017. The facility’s death rate has surpassed national averages over the past four years, igniting concern and scrutiny from both governmental bodies and the public.
In response to the escalating crisis, Tarrant County has disbursed over $2 million in the past year to settle lawsuits alleging negligence and misconduct linked to the jail. These lawsuits reached a peak with a record-setting agreement in May, indicative of the serious issues at the jail.
In attempts to address these concerns, Sheriff Waybourn recently presented a detailed report to the county commissioners, prepared by the National Institute of Corrections. He noted that the majority of the deaths were due to natural causes, including cardiac arrest and cancer, though there were also cases linked to suicide and substance-related toxicity.
Despite these explanations, some local officials remain unconvinced that sufficient measures are being taken to improve conditions at the facility. Commissioner Alisa Simmons has voiced a strong demand for an external investigation by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, suggesting that a transparent, third-party examination is essential to identify and remedy deficiencies at the jail.
As the community awaits results of the ongoing investigations, the scrutiny of Tarrant County Jail’s management and operational standards continues to intensify, with advocates and relatives of former inmates calling for accountability and reform to ensure the safety and rights of those in custody.