When an inmate dies in department custody, specified staff must notify the nearest justice of the peace and the inspector general, and the justice must inspect the body and begin an inquiry.
Sec. 501.055. REPORT OF INMATE DEATH. (a) If an inmate dies while in the custody of the department, an employee of the facility who is in charge of the inmate shall immediately notify the nearest justice of the peace serving in the county in which the inmate died and the office of inspector general. The justice shall personally inspect the body and make an inquiry as to the cause of death. The justice shall make written copies of evidence taken during the inquest, and give one copy to the director and one copy to a district judge serving in the county in which the inmate died. The judge shall provide the copy to the grand jury and, if the judge determines the evidence indicates wrongdoing, instruct the grand jury to thoroughly investigate the cause of death. (b) Subsection (a) does not apply if the inmate: (1) dies of natural causes while attended by a physician or a registered nurse; or (2) is lawfully executed. (c) If an inmate dies as described by Subsection (b)(1), the department or an authorized official of the department shall immediately attempt to notify the next of kin of the inmate that the inmate has died, state the time of the inmate's death, and inform the next of kin that unless the next of kin objects to the department within eight hours of the stated time of death, an autopsy will be conducted on the inmate. Text of subsection effective until April 01, 2027 (d) If the next of kin consents to the autopsy or does not within eight hours of the time of death file an objection with the department about the autopsy, the department or an authorized official of the department shall order an autopsy to be conducted on the inmate. The order of an autopsy under this subsection constitutes consent to an autopsy for the purposes of Article 49.32, Code of Criminal Procedure. Text of subsection effective on April 01, 2027 (d) If the next of kin consents to the autopsy or does not within eight hours of the time of death file an objection with the department about the autopsy, the department or an authorized official of the department shall order an autopsy to be conducted on the inmate. The order of an autopsy under this subsection constitutes consent to an autopsy for the purposes of Article 49A.202, Code of Criminal Procedure. (e) For purposes of this section, an "inmate in the custody of the department" is a convicted felon who: (1) is confined in a secure correctional facility operated by or under contract with the department; or (2) has been admitted for treatment into a hospital while remaining in the custody of the department. Added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 212, Sec. 2.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Renumbered from Sec. 500.055 and amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 16, Sec. 10.01(a), eff. Aug. 26, 1991. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 321, Sec. 1.090, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1422, Sec. 2, eff. June 20, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 950 (H.B. 1009), Sec. 3, eff. January 1, 2012. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 202 (H.B. 1610), Sec. 2.07, eff. April 1, 2027. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1022 (S.B. 2405), Sec. 54, eff. September 1, 2025.