Texas Jail Closes After Recliners Found In Cells

FORT WORTH, Texas — A jail in northern Texas has been closed and its nearly 60 inmates transferred as authorities investigate what they call dangerous conditions for jailers and those behind bars _ including cells that locked from the inside or contained recliners. Five inmates had already been moved from the Montague County jail to one in a nearby county this month after an FBI raid, said Jack McGaughey, district attorney for Montague, Clay and Archer counties.

McGaughey declined to say what prompted the investigation, also being conducted by the Texas Rangers. But he said authorities found contraband in the jail. New Sheriff Paul Cunningham moved the inmates to the Wise County jail on Thursday a few hours after he was sworn in.

McGaughey said some surveillance cameras' cords had been disconnected; recliners were in cells; some bathrooms and cells could be locked from the inside; and inmates had made partitions out of paper towels to block jailers' views inside their cells. One alarming discovery was a type of rack made of nails, he said.

"This action was taken because there was a concern for the safety of the prisoners and the jail personnel," McGaughey said Friday.

Some inmates had apparently used extension cords to lock deputies out, and unidentified pills were strewn about other jail cells, Dallas-Fort Worth television station WFAA reported.

No one has been arrested, but McGaughey plans to present evidence to a grand jury and said "a number of people" _ inmates as well as jailers _ could be indicted.

The U.S. attorney's office also is working with the FBI and may bring federal charges, McGaughey said. The FBI in Dallas did not immediately return calls seeking comment Friday.

Cunningham told WFAA-TV that the conditions made him "shiver" but said he hopes the jail will reopen in two months, with repairs made and inmates back under a new set of rules.

The jail in Montague County, about 65 miles northwest of Fort Worth, has had problems in the past.

In early 2002, four inmates broke out after overpowering a guard with a homemade knife. The two convicted killers and two murder suspects drove off in the guard's SUV but were caught 10 days later at an Oklahoma convenience store.

The Montague County jail had been put on warning about three months before the escape for falling short of the guard-to-inmate ratio. After the breakout officials made a surprise visit and found the jail still out of compliance.

Comments

[kenergy599]

Was the prison privitized?

[USA2Sense]

Isn't the phrase "out of compliance" a little laughable here????

[IndyReader]

I guess those folks have never heard of "Romeo and Juliette", the Capulets and the Montagues, from the way the pronounce the county name.

[Horus45]

Just more proof that the Republican philosophy of "Privatize everything run by the Government" is pure hogwash only intended to enrich fellow Republicans.

[MsLiz]

Nothing in this article suggests that this jail was run by a private entity. How you link the conditions in this jail to the privatization issue is beyond me.

[thaneb]

There's nothing elsewhere on the web I could find, either. Please do not provide ammo to righties by making up "proof" like they have been know to do.

[Horus45]

Nearly every County Jail in Texas is Privately Run, thanks to George Bush when he was Governor of Texas.

[jsgaetano]

Those Texans really know how to coddle their criminals like nobody else.

The Bush family is proof that Texas really is a paradise for criminals.

[garymc8]

You took the post right out of my mouth. That state LOVES their criminals. Maybe they were getting ready for W. (W=WORST HUMAN EVER)

[Curdleberg]

I think I'm gonna throw up.

[studioh!]

This is the perfect jail to house the X-POTUS, recliners and all. Get a good shiv ready for him, boys.

[inorbit]

Maybe they were told to get ready to take any Wall Street financiers who were convicted for destroying the economy of their country.

Has anyone thought of that?

[horsey]

No arrests? You may want to start with the sheriff there boys.

We know you're slow down there in Texas but come on boys the sheriff runs the jail.

[timtimes]

Those conditions looked almost humane. How dare they allow inmates any shred of dignity? Don't they know they are in Texas?

Enjoy.

[ZellaBee]

Arresting people in jail. What a concept!

[garymc8]

Its texas. Thats the only place they can catch them. LOL

[ZellaBee]

Very Funny.

[wadenelson1]

This is ridiculous. What's wrong with a prisoner stuck in a jail cell all day long having a Barcalounger.

Isn't daytime TV punishment enough?

We need to re-think prisons. Instead of hardening criminals we need to soften them up. A recliner's a good start.

[garymc8]

Take the weights away and make them watch HGTV all day. They will be fighting over the chinch drapes for the cell when they get out.

[lj9283]

There's also a video tour:

http://www.wfaa.com/video/?nvid=317996

[OrganOfThought]

wow

thanks

[hildutus]

With all the very dangerous items and situations found in the jail, it's interesting that HP decided to concentrate on recliners in the headline. Doesn't that just fit the right--wing rage that prisoners have it too easy, while ignoring real dangers? Is HP now an extension of F0X?

[CharlottesvilleVA]

It's called "headline writing." If the link had said "weapons found in cells" nobody would click on the link because that happens all the time. But since they mentioned recliners many people click the link because, well, that's relatively unusual.

[democracy7]

Having worked in Department of Corrections in Indiana, I know any type of infraction of this magnitude is ominous. IF it was tolerated by the jail keepers, they are complicit and should serve time for contraband. If the post is true as it is written, then I can't imagine any circumstance where they weren't complicit.
This is a dangerous situation for inmates, jailers and the citizens of that county.

[southernfried]

welp, everything is big in texas

howdy.......