Inmate Jose Faz (Full Name: Jose Luis Faz) Died After Medical Emergency Texas Department of Criminal Justice Estelle Unit In Huntsville
WALKER COUNTY, TEXAS (December 6, 2023) - A 40-year-old inmate identified as Jose Faz has tragically died at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Estelle Unit in Huntsville.
Walker County officials said that the incident began on December 5th. Security staff noticed that Jose Faz was unresponsive inside of his assigned cell.
Additional security and medical staff arrived at the scene. The inmate was transported to the jail infirmary. EMS were also called to the scene and transported Jose Faz to the hospital.
Despite additional efforts, he was later pronounced dead by medical staff. His medical cause of death in the custodial death report was listed as “lethal arrhythmia.”
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Huntsville Inmate Deaths
Jails can be incredibly stressful and difficult places to live. Many inmates are neglected during their stays. It is therefore not surprising that so many inmates in Texas and across the United States die in-custody each year. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “There were more deaths in custody in FY 2020 than in any year since FY 2016. The manner of these deaths included homicide, suicide, illness, accident, and other or unknown means.” Many inmates die from heart issues. There are many factors that could contribute to an arrhythmia.
- Certain medications
- Certain drugs
- High blood pressure
- An overactive thyroid gland
- Blocked arteries
All inmates have a constitutional right to receive reasonably adequate medical care. The care that inmates receive as they are being processed is particularly important. Jails should do everything that they can to get an accurate health profile of the inmates in their care. When a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of any inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. There are many ways that any jail may have contributed to an inmate’s death.
- A jail may have failed to perform regular welfare checks on any inmate.
- A jail may have failed to give an inmate the medication that they needed.
- A jail may have failed to get an inmate to the hospital in a timely manner.
- A jail may have placed an inmate in a prone position which restricted their breathing.
Jails are supposed to be proactive about keeping inmates healthy, but in far too many situations this does not take place. Jails will often wait until an inmate is in a medical emergency before they bother sending them to the hospital. It can be hard to know what to do after a loved one dies in custody. But it is important for inmates and their families to understand that they do have rights. The family of any person that died in a county jail may have legal recourse through a civil claim.
Investigating Huntsville Inmate Deaths
We at Scott H. Palmer, P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of Jose Faz. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. The number of deaths across Walker County remains deeply concerning.
Do you need more information about Walker County inmate deaths? 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 jails are upholding constitutional standards. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any in-custody death we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 214-987-4100.