Inmate Joe Brassfield, 49, Died At Texas Department of Criminal Justice Beto Unit In Tennessee Colony
ANDERSON COUNTY, TEXAS (January 26, 2024) - A 46-year-old inmate identified as Joe Brassfield has tragically died while staying at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Beto Unit.
TDCJ officials are saying that the incident began on January 18. Joe Brassfield was found unresponsive in his cell.
Medical staff entered the cell and began life-saving measures. He was transported to the unit infirmary in order to receive further care.
Despite those efforts, Joe Brassfield was pronounced deceased roughly 36 minutes after being found unresponsive. A full investigation into the inmate death remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For TDCJ Beto Unit Inmate Deaths
Inmates are often subjected to numerous forms of mistreatment including inadequate care. According to Reuters, “A Reuters data analysis finds that jails with healthcare overseen by private companies incur higher death rates on average than those with care handled by government agencies. The story of a Georgia jail that hired Corizon Health Inc reveals the hidden cost of privatized inmate healthcare.” There are a number of ways that jail officials may have failed to properly care for inmates.
- Jail officials may have failed to get an inmate to the hospital in a timely manner.
- Jail officials may have failed to get an inmate a medical screening when they were first admitted.
- Jail officials may have failed to give an inmate the medications that they needed.
The Supreme Court of the United States has held time and time again that inmates have a constitutional right to receive medical attention. If a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical need of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. The level of care that any inmate may needs will typically correlate with any medical conditions that they have. It is important that evidence is properly preserved after any inmate death.
- The number of times an inmate was checked on before their death should be known.
- Surveillance footage should be sought.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
There is typically no one factor that caused any particular inmate death. Inmate deaths are more often the result of the faulty systems and procedures within any jail system. This may include instances where jail officials routinely fail to perform safety checks on inmates. The family of any person that died in a jail may have legal recourse through a civil claim.
Investigating TDCJ Beto Unit Inmate Deaths
We at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of Joe Brassfield. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. State officials need to do their part and take steps to prevent other tragedies like this.
Do you need more information about an TDCJ Beto Unit inmate death? Our team of civil rights attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that inmates are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 214-987-4100.