(a) The commission shall prepare information of public interest describing the functions of the commission. The commission shall make the information available:
(1) to the public, inmates, county officials, and appropriate state agencies; and
(2) on any publicly accessible Internet website maintained by the commission.
(a-1) The commission shall adopt rules and procedures regarding the receipt, investigation, resolution, and disclosure to the public of complaints regarding the commission and complaints regarding jails under the commission’s jurisdiction that are filed with the commission. The commission shall:
(1) prescribe a form or forms on which written complaints regarding the commission and complaints regarding jails under the commission’s jurisdiction may be filed with the commission;
(2) keep an information file in accordance with § 511.0072 regarding each complaint filed with the commission regarding the commission or a jail under the commission’s jurisdiction;
(3) develop procedures for prioritizing complaints filed with the commission and a reasonable time frame for responding to those complaints and appeals of those complaints;
(4) develop a procedure for tracking and analyzing all complaints filed with the commission, according to criteria that must include:
(A) the reason for or origin of complaints;
(B) the average number of days that elapse between the date on which complaints are filed, the date on which the commission first investigates or otherwise responds to complaints, and the date on which complaints are resolved;
(C) the outcome of investigations or the resolution of complaints, including dismissals and commission actions resulting from complaints;
(D) the number of pending complaints at the close of each fiscal year;
(E) a list of complaint topics that the commission does not have jurisdiction to investigate or resolve;
(F) the detailed categorization of each violation alleged in a complaint;
(G) the comprehensive documentation of each violation alleged in a complaint; and
(H) for a complaint for which the commission took no action, the documentation of the reason the complaint was closed without action;
(5) regularly analyze complaints to identify trends, including trends with respect to jails with a higher than average number of complaints, to determine jails requiring additional inspections; and
(6) regularly prepare and distribute to members of the commission and make available to the public a report containing a summary of the information compiled under Subdivisions (4) and (5).

Terms Used In Texas Government Code 511.0071

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005

(b) The commission shall prepare and maintain a written plan that describes how a person who does not speak English or who has a physical, mental, or developmental disability can be provided reasonable access to the commission programs.
(c) Repealed by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1215, Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2009.
(d) The commission shall adopt rules and procedures regarding the referral of a complaint filed with the commission from or related to a prisoner to the appropriate local agency for investigation and resolution. The commission may perform a special inspection of a facility named in the complaint to determine compliance with commission requirements.
(e) Repealed by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 254 (H.B. 1545), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2021.
(f) Repealed by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 254 (H.B. 1545), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2021.
(g) The commission shall adopt rules requiring jail administrators to include in any inmate handbook and prominently display throughout the jail information regarding the procedure for complaint investigation and resolution.
(h) The commission shall ensure that a jail complies with Subsection (g) during any inspection of the jail.

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