Inmate Dominga Trevino (Full Name: Dominga Barrera Trevino), 50, Died In-Custody At Baker Street Jail In Houston
HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 24, 2023) - A woman awaiting trial identified as Dominga Trevino has tragically died while in-custody at Harris County jail on Baker Street.
Harris County officials are saying that the incident took place on Monday night. Dominga Trevino has been at the Baker Street Jail in downtown Houston since June 29 while awaiting trial.
Correctional officers noticed that she was suffering from a medical emergency inside of the medical ward at the jail. Medical staff responded to the incident and began life-saving measures.
Despite those efforts, Dominga Trevino was pronounced dead around 10:30 p.m. on Monday night. A full investigation by the Houston Police Department remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for Harris County Jail Inmate Deaths
Jails are supposed to be places of rehabilitation. But in far too many situations, they are where people go to be neglected and mistreated. It is therefore not surprising that so many people die in custody each year. Many of these deaths involve suspects that were never even formally convicted of a crime. According to one report by Reuters, from 2008 to 2019 some 4,998 inmates in U.S. jails died in-custody without getting their day in court. There are a number of reasons that an inmate may die in custody.
- Inmates may not get adequate medical care for pre-existing health conditions.
- Inmates may experience severe mental health issues while in custody. It is therefore not surprising that suicide is one of the major causes of in-custody death.
- Another major cause of inmate death is overdose from opioids and other drugs.
All jails have a legal obligation to provide inmates reasonably adequate healthcare for their needs. To that end, jails should give inmates a proper health screening when they are first admitted. Inmates may need care for pre-existing health conditions. Failing to give them that care puts them needlessly at risk of serious injury and death. If a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious health needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. There are many ways that a jail may have failed to properly care for an inmate.
- A jail may have failed to give an inmate the care they required.
- A jail may have failed to send an inmate to the hospital when they needed more extensive care.
- A jail may have failed to help an inmate in the midst of a medical emergency.
Jail deaths are never random. In far too many situations, they are the natural byproduct of inadequate medical care. This could be due to carelessness or overcrowding which stretches a jail’s resources thin. It is important for inmates and their families to know that they do have rights. The family of any person that died in-custody may be able to seek some measure of justice through a civil claim.
Investigating Inmate Deaths At The Baker Street Jail In Houston
We at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of Dominga Trevino. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. It is our sincere hope that there is greater oversight of this jail so that other tragedies can be prevented. Every inmate has rights afforded under the constitution that must be protected.
Do you need more information about an inmate death at a Harris County jail? Our team of civil rights advocates are here to help in any way that we can. We are committed to helping inmates understand their rights and holding jails accountable for their unconstitutional actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any in-custody death we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 214-987-4100.