Houston mother's son dies in jail custody, Harris County jail to see inmate reduction
Man dies after Harris County jail transfer
A Houston area mother shares her heartbreak after her son died following his transfer out of Harris County jail because of overcrowding. Overcrowding has been an issue we've reported on before and Texas Jail Commissioners decided more beds have to go. FOX 26's Sherman Desselle reports on the details.
HOUSTON - A Houston mother is left grappling for answers after the death of her son who passed away while in custody at a facility in Louisiana.
Sarah Knight recently officiated the funeral of her son, 29-year-old Jaleen Anderson. Anderson, a father of five, died on April 3 while awaiting trial.
Anderson was arrested in March in Harris County on a drug possession charge. Due to overcrowding at the Harris County Jail, he was transferred to a facility in LaSalle Parish, Louisiana, on March 22. The outsourcing of inmates is part of an effort to reduce jail overcrowding - a cost of $50 million to taxpayers.
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However, his time in custody was marred by what HCSO refers to as an "apparent medical emergency," including seizures leading up to his death.
According to LaSalle Correctional Center officials, Anderson went to the clinic with complaints of dizziness and vomiting. Emergency medical personnel transported him to Hardtner Medical Center Emergency Room. He was pronounced deceased at 8:59 p.m. that night.
"My son has not been dealing with any issues, my son was healthy," Knight lamented. "He was a healthy young man. There was nothing wrong with him."
Anderson's transfer from Harris County Jail was part of an effort to alleviate overcrowding, a persistent issue in the facility.
Photo of 29-year-old Jaleen Anderson, a Houston man who died while in custody in LaSalle Parish, Louisiana. He was transferred to the facility after being booked in Harris County jail on March 22 (family photo)
The Harris County Jail has been under scrutiny for failing to meet minimum jail standards for the past two years. In a recent report to the Jail Commission in Austin on May 2, the Harris County Sheriff's Office highlighted efforts to address these concerns, including hiring more staff and implementing increased monitoring of inmates. However, challenges persist, particularly in maintaining the mandated ratio of correctional officers to inmates.
"The next step, is to ensure they're meeting that 1 to 48 (one officer to 48 inmates) all the time for them to house out additional inmates," said TCJS Executive Director Brandon Wood at the meeting. "Do you have an idea of what that would look like?" he asked HCSO officials.
"It might be a couple hundred, but we're running into the courts wanting them back so quick, and there's no beds close in the Houston area," explained Phillip Bosquez, Assistant Chief of HCSO. "We're looking to send people out that need to be in court in seven days."
Sarah Knight, who also attended the May 2 meeting, said she will continue to plead for answers. "My son was not declared guilty of any crime yet. This was just a pre-trial," she said. "I will not stop. I will do whatever it takes for my baby to receive justice for what has happened to him."
Both the Harris County Jail and the LaSalle Parish facility have initiated investigations into Jaleen Anderson's death.