After an inmate is accused of killing his cellmate, concerns have been raised over the conditions inside the Harris County Jail. According to CW39, Chad Maydwell, 33, is charged with Michael Griego’s death after he was discovered unconscious in their cell in November 2022.
When Griego was found in the same cell as Maydwell, who was awaiting trial for the suspected murder of his grandmother, in the jail’s mental health unit, he had obvious head trauma, according to information made public by ABC13. Griego died from blunt force head injuries, and his death was determined to be a homicide. This week, Maydwell was charged with assaulting Griego over a disagreement about the top bunk.
A confession to the murder was discovered by investigators when Maydwell called his parents from jail. Andrew Figliuzzi, Chief of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Mental Health Division, told ABC13, “The defendant himself put him there at the scene and confessed to his parents that he indeed was the person that caused these injuries.”
There are worries that prisoners with mental health disorders are not receiving enough support in an already overburdened system. Griego’s family pointed out that he had experienced such assaults in the past, with his concerns allegedly going unanswered. Griego’s placement in a cell alongside Maydwell, who was awaiting competency restoration after being found incapable to stand trial for a murder accusation, was also questioned by them. Figliuzzi highlighted the need for state legislature action, saying, “I can say that we have literally hundreds of defendants across the state of Texas waiting in county jails to be sent to the mental hospitals for treatment, and we don’t have enough beds,” in his statements toABC13.
The Harris County Jail has a concerning disparity between the number of violent incidents and the charges filed, as revealed by the record requests from ABC13. In 2023, there were over 11,000 recorded assaults, fights, and sexual encounters, but only 71 charges were brought against those individuals, or less than 1% of all violent incidents. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office told ABC13 that they followed process when they reported Griego’s death to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and permitted the Texas Department of Public Safety Ranger Division to conduct an investigation.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
Leave a Reply