Tarrant County Jail deaths, alleged mistreatment spark protest

A Tarrant County commissioner said Tuesday he was disturbed by reports of people with mental disabilities in the county’s jails, including a woman who is now in a coma after spending several days in custody. “These issues cry out to be addressed, we will address them,” Commissioner Roy Brooks told the crowd at a public meeting, after several speakers called for investigations, policy changes and other action. The comments came as about 15 to 20 people advocates and families protested Tuesday morning outside the building where the Commissioners Court met. The rally was in response to Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporting about deaths in the jail, allegations of procedural missteps and the case of 38-year-old Kelly Masten, who has near daily seizures that require medication and can render her unable to communicate. A family member’s call to 911 over Masten’s welfare landed her in jail, instead of a hospital. Ten days later, she was covered with large bruises and comatose.

Brooks responded to people who spoke during a public comment period of the commissioners meeting. Some of the demands from advocacy organizations include better inmate screening, jail diversion programs and using trained experts, not law enforcement, to respond to calls when someone is suffering from a mental health crisis. “The point at which to consider the sheriff’s budget is when we consider the budgets of county departments,” Brooks said. “Questions will be asked. It disturbs me that there are so many people still in our county jail with mental and developmental disabilities. We need to do something about that.” Outside, protesters including the statewide group Texas Jail Project called for the removal of Sheriff Bill Waybourn, jail medical staff and others. Masten’s family joined the rally. Her father, Danny, and sister, Kristina Salinas, spoke on behalf of Masten, who is still in a coma at John Peter Smith Hospital.