Two More Inmates Die at Bexar County Jail



The Bexar County Jail.
The Bexar County Jail.

Two Inmates Die Within a Week

Ms. Claudine Marie Parisi was booked into the jail on February 12 but within 24 hours she suffered a medical emergency and was taken to the hospital. It was determined that Ms. Parisi had a heart attack and had to be placed on life support. A few days later, she died. No comment is made in the KSAT article as to whether Ms. Parisi had mental health issues but she was arrested for Criminal Trespass on Private Property. Criminal trespassing is a very common charge for people who have mental issues. Ms. Parisi’s bond was $200 which means all she needed to be able to post bond was $20.

Second Inmate Death

The second inmate died on Sunday. No information regarding his identity has been given out since the family has not been notified yet. All we know is that he was a 64-year old man. According to KSAT, “Authorities say the 64-year-old male suffered the episode at 3:09 p.m. Sunday while waiting in the medical section of the Bexar County Adult Detention Center to be taken to University Hospital for further treatment.”

That he was already in the medical area waiting to be taken to the hospital tells us that he was already having problems. We don’t know when he was taken to the medical area or how long he waited there before he collapsed. The medical staff at the jail are employees of the University Health System. They attempted to keep him alive. Once EMS arrived, paramedics took over in attempting to save the man but they eventually determined that he was deceased.

Coincidence or Negligence?

Under normal circumstances two inmates dying within a week, would be considered a coincidence but these two inmates are, by far, not the only deaths that have occurred at the jail under Sheriff Javier Salazar. The problems under the current administration are unprecedented.

Are some of the people who get arrested, in poor health? Yes. Do some have serious medical problems that could lead to their death in the jail? Definitely. Could the lack of personnel be a contributing factor in not being able to monitor these individuals as well as they should be? Absolutely. And if the lack of personnel, and Salazar’s inability to address his staffing issues, is determined to be part of the problem, will the taxpayers have to pay out when sued for negligence? It could very well come to that. Some smart attorney may decided to look at the hiring criteria Salazar has initiated and show its detrimental effects and why it should be considered negligence.

Salazar Unable to Fix His Staffing Issues

The truth is, staffing continues to be a major issue at the jail. They are still running approximately 200 officers short. There is no way you can tell me that you can be that deficient on manpower yet maintain the level of monitoring that these individuals require. It just can’t be done. And it’s amazing to me that the jail can be that short on manpower and pass the Jail Standards inspection. That sounds fishy.

The reality is, the Salazar administration doesn’t have the business knowledge to get themselves out of the hole they have dug. They don’t seem to know how to develop a plan and set it in motion. Their reactions are knee-jerk. While they may be able to say these people had medical issues and point to medical staff not being able to help the inmates, you can’t help but wonder if the lack of manpower was a contributing factor. Could these people have been saved if there were more officers to monitor them better? If their distress was noticed sooner? We don’t know.

I doubt anyone will focus on this aspect of the situation and I suspect more people will die because of it.

One thought on “Two More Inmates Die at Bexar County Jail

  1. Brad

    The Sheriff doesn’t control University hospital staff or their policy and procedures. They fall under completely different management.

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