An outside agency is required to investigate all jail deaths in Texas, but a proposed bill would make it so 'natural' deaths wouldn't have to be investigated at all.
, the sheriff's office initially classified Shelton's manner of death as "natural" in a basic report to the state.ordered by jail physicians, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
"It could happen to any of us who are pulled over for anything and taken into the jail, and that's really alarming and worrisome to minimize the death investigations to deaths that are suspicious. You don't know that they're suspicious until you investigate them," Krish Gundu, co-founder and executive director of the Texas Jail Project, said. "It's like a chicken and egg story.
"This bill is going to allow for a huge loophole for counties and sheriff's offices to get away with a lot of medical neglect and abuse," Gundu said. "By amending the regulations of custodial deaths, the Texas Rangers could reallocate the 1,350 hours of investigative hours of resources to other investigations where criminal activity was present," Birdwell said.Gundu said not having resources isn't a good enough reason to stop investigating all jail deaths.
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