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Resident criticizes Fort Worth jail conditions, cites private operator and Tarrant County deaths
Summary
A speaker described the Fort Worth city jail as unsanitary and cited LaSalle as the operator; they also reported Tarrant County jail deaths they said exceeded the national average.
A resident raising concerns about jail conditions told the City Council that the Fort Worth city jail, operated under contract, is in poor condition and that the system of processing and transfers contributes to overcrowding.
"It's ran by a company called LaSalle," the speaker said, describing the city jail as smelling bad, crowded, and lacking seating. She said arrestees are held in the city facility until space is available at the Tarrant County Jail.
The speaker said she had reviewed booking records and claimed that since Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office there have been "72 deaths," which she said is "10 more than the national average," and alleged causes including violence, suicide, dehydration and starvation. The transcript records these claims as the speaker's assertions; the council did not respond with data during the meeting.
The speaker also described intake conditions, including limited food and water and housing arrangements that mix men and women in small cells. No formal council action or staff report on jail conditions was recorded in the transcript; the remark was made during the public-comment portion of the meeting.
