Tex. Code of Criminal Procedure § 16.21

This is the official text of Tex. Code of Criminal Procedure § 16.21, part of Texas’s Code of Criminal Procedure — sets the procedural rules for criminal cases in Texas.

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§ 16.21. DUTY OF SHERIFF AS TO PRISONERS.

Official statutory text

Every sheriff shall keep safely a person committed to his custody. He shall use no cruel or unusual means to secure this end, but shall adopt all necessary measures to prevent the escape of a prisoner. He may summon a guard of sufficient number, in case it becomes necessary to prevent an escape from jail, or the rescue of a prisoner.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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