Tarrant County Inspection Reports
June 3, 2025
Tarrant County has been under significant public scrutiny since the beginning of this year. Following numerous in-custody deaths in 2024, and already some in 2025, community members are calling for…
Topics: Custody Death, Jail Conditions, Medical, TCJS
Tarrant County
Tarrant County has been under significant public scrutiny since the beginning of this year. Following numerous in-custody deaths in 2024, and already some in 2025, community members are calling for the Sheriff’s removal from office. Our members have spoken at Commissioners Court and Texas Commission on Jail Standards quarterly meetings.
Not only are community members dying in jail, but Tarrant County has also been disobeying the law. The Sheriff’s Office has failed to comply with the Sandra Bland Act, which requires a third-party investigation of every in-custody death. In March, we also found that Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office failed to report an in-custody death to the Attorney General’s Office within the required 30-day window.
Meanwhile, Texas Commission on Jail Standards has not found Tarrant County out of compliance since 2021. Our community members are calling on the state to find Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office out of compliance.
Below, find the inspection reports produced by TCJS since Sheriff Waybourn took office in 2017
Tarrant County TCJS Inspection ReportsIt is important to note that even in those reports where the jail was found to be compliant, it required “technical assistance” to pass the inspection. Technical assistance is like helping someone pass a test by giving them the answers. For example, in 2024, technical assistance was provided because there was a complaint that someone wasn’t getting their medication as prescribed. However, the inspection report indicates that there were “no deficiencies noted.”