Sandra Bland Act Requirements 2020
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History of Sandra Bland Act Requirements
The Sandra Bland Act is a bill that was passed in Texas in 2017. It mandates that all police officers in Texas get de-escalation training, and that they be punished for not following it. The bill also mandates that law enforcement agencies have policies on how to treat incarcerated people with mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. It also requires that jails provide detainees with a grievance process so they can report mistreatment by staff or other detainees. In an effort to ensure the law is properly implemented, the state will spend $2 million over the next two years to assess how well the new rules are being followed. The bill comes after Sandra Bland died in police custody in 2015. She was arrested for a traffic violation, and was found dead in her cell three days later. Her death was ruled a suicide, but her family believes she was murdered by police.
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Why Sandra Bland Act Requirements are Necessary
his law is helpful for the following reasons: It provides transparency into law enforcement practices. It requires law enforcement to be more responsive to community concerns. It sets benchmarks for law enforcement to meet. It makes the public aware of what they can do if they feel their rights are violated. It requires law enforcement agencies to be more responsive to community concerns.
How Jails Can Properly Adhere to Sandra Bland Act Requirements
The Act also requires police departments to submit their policies and procedures for review by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), which must make recommendations regarding the policies and procedures within 90 days. The TCOLE is charged with providing assistance to law enforcement agencies in developing these policies and procedures. It is also charged with reviewing these policies and procedures at least once every three years. (To read more about TCOLE's duties under this Act, see here). The Act also places specific requirements on police departments regarding body-worn cameras, including: (1) requiring that each officer wear a body-worn camera in certain situations; (2) developing written policies and procedures regarding the use of body-worn cameras; (3) requiring that officers notify individuals when they are being recorded by a body-worn camera; and (4) requiring a review process for footage taken by body-worn cameras. The Act also mandates that footage taken by body-worn cameras be retained for at least 180 days unless it is determined that the footage is no longer needed as evidence or for training purposes, or if it is determined that the footage does not depict any violations of law or department policy. (To read more about the requirements under this Act, see here). The Act also requires that each law enforcement agency adopt a policy regarding the use of restraints in holding cells. This policy must address whether restraints are used in holding cells as a matter of course or only when necessary, who may authorize the use of restraints in a holding cell, how long an individual may be restrained in a holding cell, how often an individual may be released from restraints while still being held in a holding cell, and how often an individual may be removed from a holding cell to stretch his or her legs or otherwise move about freely while still being held in custody.
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