AUSTIN, Texas — The Travis County Sheriff's Office is responding to concerns about the well-being of an inmate in the county jail.
A nonprofit advocacy group, the Austin Sanctuary Network, or ASN, rallied outside the sheriff's office on Wednesday morning.
“The community is here to let Sheriff Hernandez know that she didn't have to talk to us about our friend in jail, but she needs to talk to us about the fact that her family doesn't even know what's going on,” Peggy Morton, a volunteer with the organization, said.
In September, a family approached ASN concerned about their daughter, Daneyri, after she got into a car accident. They would not say what happened once police arrived, or what her charges were that led to her arrest.
They would also not speak on camera, or share their last name out of fear of previous bad experiences with law enforcement.
“She’s been incarcerated in the Travis County Jail for a month-and-a-half, and she has been mistreated at every step of the way,” Morton said.
Morton claims Daneyri has had trouble contacting her family, was moved to another, rougher part of the jail without knowing why, and also had a jail-issued iPad taken away despite her trying to take rehab courses.
“So, the family is trying to get some of the same answers that the daughter is not getting answers about,” Morton said. “We want the sheriff to show some humanity.”
Sheriff Sally Hernandez agreed to meet with ASN for 20 minutes.
Sheriff's office spokesperson Kristen Dark said they want to clear things up.
“We don't divulge personal information for any adult in our custody, whether it be where they're housed, what they're eating, what their medical treatment is – none of that because we don't have the right to give that information,” Dark explained.
She said it can be frustrating, but people in their custody still have the right to privacy. Unless an inmate signs a waiver to release their information, even family is not allowed to know their condition.
Dark wouldn't speak specifically about this case but said generally, family members have a number of ways to contact loved ones on the inside, through phone call, video call or in-person visitation. She said some ways cost money, or in some cases, visitation can be altered based on behavioral consequences.
“It also could be user error with the system or it could be that they are expecting to be able to communicate at times when communication isn't offered,” Dark said.
ASN said Sheriff Hernandez has agreed to meet with the family for more information at a later date and in a location they feel safe.
Daneyri is expected to have a court appearance on Dec. 18 at the Travis County Courthouse.