Houston mother fights for justice one year after son dies in Harris County jail custody

A year after his death, Evan Griffin Lee’s mother, Jacilet Griffin, is still seeking answers surrounding her son’s passing while in Harris County Jail custody.

On Dec. 22, 2021, Lee was arrested and sent to jail for a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

After months of trying to obtain information regarding her son’s health, Griffin received a call on March 18, 2022, notifying her that her son needed emergency surgery.

Lee remained in the hospital, hooked up to a ventilator and handcuffed to the bed, for 12 more days until it was determined that he was brain-dead.

Lee’s organs were donated to those in need, and his death has been ruled by Texas Rangers as a homicide.

Griffin and lawmakers from Houston and Washington have introduced legislation to reform the jail, which includes body-worn cameras for staff, a new detention captain, and a family coordinator for inmates. State legislators have also proposed a bill calling for thorough investigations into each death at the facility.

U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has expressed her intent to speak with the Department of Justice about a federal civil rights investigation and additional assistance for the jail.

Lee is one of 28 deaths reported at the Harris County Jail for 2022, with four deaths already reported this year.