Activists hope indictment in Texas jail death prompts change

HOUSTON — Attorneys and community activists said Tuesday they hope the indictment of a former Texas sheriff’s office detention officer in the death of an inmate will prompt changes in the state’s largest county jail, which has been under scrutiny amid overcrowding and a slew of recent deaths.

Eric Morales, 28, faces a charge of manslaughter in the death of Jaquaree Simmons. The 23-yearold Houston man was found unconscious in his cell at the Harris County Jail in 2021 and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Medical examiners later ruled the death a homicide from injuries to his head. Court records did not list an attorney for Morales who could speak on his behalf. He remained jailed Tuesday on a $100,000 bond after being indicted last week. Prosecutors said this was the first time a detention officer at the jail in Houston had been charged in connection with an in-custody death.

Community activists and civil rights organizations say overcrowding and understaffing at the lockup have created dangerous conditions for inmates.

Last year 27 people died inside the facility, the most since 2006, according to the Texas Justice Initiative nonprofit, of causes including illness, alcohol and drug intoxication and homicide.

Last year, the jail’s population exceeded its capacity of 10,000. Activists say the overcrowding has prompted delays in medical care and timely processing of inmates. Officials have blamed the crowding in part on a court backlog caused by damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and later the pandemic. On Monday, there were 9,970 inmates at the jail.

Lee Merritt, an attorney representing Simmons’ family, called Morales’ indictment a “major milestone.”

“I’m hoping a dam will now break so we can address some of the instances of brutality and violence” in jails and prisons, Merritt said.

Prosecutor Kimberly Clark of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Monday that county residents expect detention officers to treat inmates fairly and humanely.