Harris County Jail Assault: Inmate Had No Escort, Sheriff Says

HOUSTON, TX — A 28-year-old inmate accused of sexually assaulting a 60-year-old deputy in an administrative office at the Harris County Jail in downtown Houston had no escort at the time, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a news conference Wednesday.

The inmate, Jeremiah Williams, was charged with two counts of sexual assault. Williams was returning from a bible study when he entered the deputy's office. He didn't have an escort even though he was required to have one, Gonzalez said.

Addressing questions of staffing issues, Gonzalez said the Harris County Jail was visited recently by the Texas Jail Commission, with staffing being one of the areas discussed. The Harris County Jail meets the minimum ratio of 1:48 for staffing, Gonzalez said, adding that the Harris County Sheriff's Office is continuing to develop plans to improve staffing.

"We want to exceed minimum staffing efforts," Gonzalez said, though he later backed away from blaming staffing solely for the incident, saying that his office is always looking for ways outside staffing to improve operations at the jail.

The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT), the state's largest law enforcement union, called for an independent investigation into the safety of Harris County jails in a news release Tuesday.

"Several months ago, CLEAT was the first union to demand public information regarding jail staffing and other data, but the county has attempted to stonewall us," CLEAT Executive Director Charley Wilkison said. "They are refusing to comply and instead appealed to the attorney general to help hide their dangerous workplace.

"This is what happens when local elected officials are more interested in political talking points like criminal justice reform instead of creating a safe workplace for their brave employees."