Rusk County Jail found non-compliant after inmate death investigation

HENDERSON, Texas (KLTV) - The Texas Commission on Jail Standards has completed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding an inmate’s death on July 23 in the Rusk County Jail.

The commission found the jail to be non-compliant after investigating the death of Johnny Bradley, 61, who was found unresponsive on his bed by jail staff. The staff performed CPS on Bradley while waiting for EMS to arrive to take him to UT Health Hospital in Henderson, where he was pronounced dead.

The commission issued a report on Aug. 28, and said a review of documentation and video received after Bradley’s death revealed that, while jailers made observation rounds, they did not view the inmate face-to-face as required by minimum jail standards. Observation is required to be performed at least every hour for all inmates, and every 30 minutes in areas where inmates known to be assaultive, potentially suicidal, mentally ill, or who have demonstrated bizarre behavior are confined.

Since the jailers had not seen Bradley face-to-face while making their rounds, they were out of compliance with state jail standards. Corrective action was required to be taken immediately.