A Texas County sheriff’s office has decided to make an additional officer available to help guard prisoners being held in hospitals.
The Travis County sheriff’s office intends to add a permanent position after making the change July 6. Until now the department has used a single corrections officer to monitor inmates at the University Medical Center Brackenridge, according to correctionsone.com.
Campus Safety Magazine had previously reported on a high profile inmate escape at the hospital on June 27. Dacious Parker was captured July 1 but was able to escape when a corrections officer left the hospital room momentarily to go to the bathroom. Typical shifts monitoring inmates are eight hours long.
The medical center holds up to 10 inmates from Travis County at any given time. The new officer will jump from room to room relieving officers who need to eat or go to the bathroom.
