Inmates start hunger strike in Henderson County Jail

HENDERSON COUNTY — Inmates in part of the Henderson County Jail have started a hunger strike, citing excessive bonds as their reason. According to our news partner KETK, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the hunger strike started Wednesday in a dorm that houses eight inmates. “I was informed that we do have a dorm in the jail here where they actually removed the TV from the wall and set it on the floor… Once they did that, we took the TV out of the dorm,” Hillhouse said. “And then they have been putting in paperwork saying that their bonds are excessive, and so they are basically right now saying they are on a hunger strike.” A bond is the amount of money set by a judge or magistrate for releasing a defendant from jail before the date of their trial. Hillhouse explained that a Justice of the Peace comes in every day to help set bonds in Henderson County.

Hillhouse said individual inmates have attempted hunger strikes at the jail before, but never a whole dorm. “Basically, nothing ever came out of it, they eventually started taking their food again,” Hillhouse said. The jail offers three meals per day, and Hillhouse said jail staff will continue to offer all meals to all inmates. Hillhouse added that they will lean heavily on the jail nursing staff during the hunger strike. “We’re going to continue monitoring the situation, and also there’s been no incidents at all, they just told us that they are not going to eat at this time,” Hillhouse said.

According to an August 2023 report from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the Henderson County Jail houses 385 inmates and was at 75% capacity.