FORT WORTH, Texas — A crowd of 60 people peacefully demanded change in the Tarrant County Jail in downtown Fort Worth on Tuesday morning. Rally leaders argued that voting Democrats into office is needed to fix the system.

A speaker from the group read the names of 80 people who have died either in custody or shortly after being released since Sheriff Bill Waybourn took office in 2017.

The demonstrators marched by the Tarrant County Jail, courthouse and criminal courts behind red signs that stated “too many deaths, free the innocent.” As rush hour traffic stood still waiting for green lights, the protesters chanted for justice, no more deaths in the jail and a new sheriff.

Four Democratic candidates for county offices spoke before the march and described the jail system as a humanitarian crisis being neglected by the Republican majority elected to Tarrant County Commissioners Court.

Cindy Stormer, a Democratic judiciary candidate, highlighted about a dozen of the Tarrant County inmate deaths. She said their deaths were due to thirst, medical neglect and pepper spray. Many of them happened under suspicious circumstances, she said.

Stormer said the county needs to make more use of the mental health diversion center to keep the jail from being overcrowded. Cassandra Johnson, the mother of Trelynn Wormley, who died in the jail in July 2022 of a fentanyl overdose, said she had to watch her son suffer due to the neglect for mental illness in the jail under Waybourn.

The Sandra Bland Act signed into law in 2017 requires that county jails help get inmates with mental health and substance abuse issues treatment, and help expedite the bailing process for those who meet these requirements.

Nathan Smith, a Democratic candidate for district clerk, said if elected he would put more pressure on the criminal court judges who go golfing instead of processing the cases of jail inmates waiting trial.

Sean Sparkman, Tarrant County Libertarian Party chair, said the majority of people in the jail are there because they can’t post bail, and they are the ones in harm’s way.

Democrat Jared Williams, a former Fort Worth city council member running for Precinct 2 County commissioner, demanded investigations of the 80 deaths and the jail’s practices and policies. He said Tarrant County has refused to give the public transparency or accountability when answers are most necessary.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards reviewed the Tarrant County Jail earlier this year and found zero deficiencies, according to a May press release from the sheriff’s office. At the June 9 commissioners court meeting, County Judge Tim O’Hare called it “a glowing review.”

Since that meeting, four deaths occurred in 11 days of inmates of Tarrant County Jails or people who were released shortly before they died.

Nydia Cardenas, Democratic candidate for Precinct 4 County commissioner, said the Republican majority on the Commissioners Court dehumanize the people in the jail and decided that the deaths in the jail are not an issue.

In order to fix the jail system, “we’ve got to vote,” Johnson said.

The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office did not respond immediately to a request for comment with a response to the rally.

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(Star-Telegram intern Mary Ella Hastings contributed to this report.)

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