County growth, parole violators, offenders with mental illness, and inefficiencies of the criminal justice process are among the contributing factors to the over-crowding of county jails, said Wayne Dicky, Brazos County jail administrator.
Dicky discussed the negative impacts of jail over-crowding and offered population reduction strategies at the North & East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association Conference June 3-6 in College Station.
Increased cost, reduced safety and reduced security are the most prominent negative impacts of crowded jails, Dicky told officials.
He then offered four strategies to reducing the jail population of inmates who cannot make bond:
Expedited settings for inmates.
Streamline judgment and sentence processing.
Mental health diversion.
Establishment of a pre-trial release office.
For more information on these strategies, contact Dicky at wdicky@co.brazos.tx.us or 979-361-4168.
The following is an excerpt from Dicky’s previously published article: “The Commissioners Court and the County Jail.”
The operation of the county jail is one of the most complex and expensive services provided by county government. Chapter 351 of the Local Government Code establishes the duty to provide local jails. In Section 351.041, the sheriff of each county is identified as the keeper of the county jail and charged with the duty to safely keep prisoners committed by proper authority. In all but 18 Texas counties, sheriffs fulfill the daily demands of this responsibility. Section 351.001, compels the commissioners court to share in this responsibility by providing safe and suitable jails for the county.
The definition of “safe and suitable” has long been the subject of discussion and caused more than one colorful budget hearing. This partnership charges the sheriff with the duty of operating the county jail and the commissioners with funding the operation. Regardless of the task at hand, a relationship where two entities must decide what is suitable and one entity decides what can be funded can be difficult at best. Sheriffs and commissioners approach this duty from different perspectives. The sheriff’s primary concern is a safe and secure jail, while commissioners work to balance services with operational costs, debt, and tax rates.
To read Dicky’s article in full, go to countyprogress.com. Click on In This Issue, then Archives, then January 2006.